Drawing Techniques and Methodology

[SlickSquid]

^^
I was told not to smudge because it looked "juvenile," or is the clearly the look of an amateur , the oil from your hands ruins the picture, that it is not true shading because your not learning to use your tools (pencils) to their fullest potential. A bunch of other s&!t too bruh..I mean there wasn't 1 teacher or teachers assistant I had that agree'd with it or encouraged it...now mind you this was all thru junior high and high school (partially) I been an Honors Art Student since I was like a sophomore...Got a different art teacher then when I got into that class...He said the same thing but then told me during my senior year when I develop my own style and learn about contrast,transitions, and shading more (I had a problem with shading and not adding enough black and grays) I'll see there's is a time a place for using my grubby hands in my work. Nobody does anything in art by "the rules" haha I guess he was right!

[Dog Star]

Originally Posted by SlickSquid

^^
I was told not to smudge because it looked "juvenile," or is the clearly the look of an amateur , the oil from your hands ruins the picture, that it is not true shading because your not learning to use your tools (pencils) to their fullest potential. A bunch of other s&!t too bruh..I mean there wasn't 1 teacher or teachers assistant I had that agree'd with it or encouraged it...now mind you this was all thru junior high and high school (partially) I been an Honors Art Student since I was like a sophomore...Got a different art teacher then when I got into that class...He said the same thing but then told me during my senior year when I develop my own style and learn about contrast,transitions, and shading more (I had a problem with shading and not adding enough black and grays) I'll see there's is a time a place for using my grubby hands in my work. Nobody does anything in art by "the rules" haha I guess he was right!

Rules are important, but breaking them and creating your own style is what art is all about. How boring art would be if everyone stuck by stringent rules and we all produced cookie cutter art. Yawn.

As for using fingers to smudge I stopped doing that a long time ago.. because like you said the oils in your hands are destructive to the art.

I use cotton balls/Q Tips or a piece of suade (sp?) I bought at Flax Art Store in SF. I use it for my pencil and my pastel art.. works like a charm. Plus I use the Tortilla sticks. I cannot live without these tools.

My fingers suffered alot too from smudging with them for so many years .. in fact one time I had to get my finger prints taken for a job and the lady said, "Are you an artist?" I was dumb founded at her question and told her I was and how the hell did she know that.. and she said, "I can tell by your finger prints.. they're very worn down". LMAO I was like WTF?

I recently did do a pencil sketch for something I was going to paint in P.S.. One night I was a little bored and picked up the sketch and shaded it in the old fashioned way with my finger. And you know.. it came out great for just a quickie like that. I know if I went back and really darkened it with my tools it would look much better though.

[561design]

Originally Posted by SlickSquid

^^
I was told not to smudge because it looked "juvenile," or is the clearly the look of an amateur , the oil from your hands ruins the picture, that it is not true shading because your not learning to use your tools (pencils) to their fullest potential. A bunch of other s&!t too bruh..I mean there wasn't 1 teacher or teachers assistant I had that agree'd with it or encouraged it...now mind you this was all thru junior high and high school (partially) I been an Honors Art Student since I was like a sophomore...Got a different art teacher then when I got into that class...He said the same thing but then told me during my senior year when I develop my own style and learn about contrast,transitions, and shading more (I had a problem with shading and not adding enough black and grays) I'll see there's is a time a place for using my grubby hands in my work. Nobody does anything in art by "the rules" haha I guess he was right!

Hahahaha!!! That is excellent. In the professional design world you're taught to smudge because it's faster than screwing with the damn pencil. Time is money and they don't want you wasting their money trying to "shade". So basically knock out a buncha concepts to get the point across and smudge all you want just do it fast.

I was in high school honors art as well and I agree, they feed you all this crap. Most of it is impractical and there are better ways out there. Although I never quite understood why they wouldn't teach us the "correct" way to draw. Maybe when I get to be an old fart I'll quit my job and apply to be a high school art teacher... Then I'll run around the class room an tell them to smudge their asses off and that it's OK to see construction lines.

[SlickSquid]

Originally Posted by 561design

Hahahaha!!! That is excellent. In the professional design world you're taught to smudge because it's faster than screwing with the damn pencil. Time is money and they don't want you wasting their money trying to "shade". So basically knock out a buncha concepts to get the point across and smudge all you want just do it fast.

I was in high school honors art as well and I agree, they feed you all this crap. Most of it is impractical and there are better ways out there. Although I never quite understood why they wouldn't teach us the "correct" way to draw. Maybe when I get to be an old fart I'll quit my job and apply to be a high school art teacher... Then I'll run around the class room an tell them to smudge their asses off and that it's OK to see construction lines.

Hahaha ah man I got a thing for construction lines!! I think there so ill in a sketchbook..I leave em in on purpose on some of mine because sometimes I just dig the look of an "unfinished" project!

[jerseyjaywymbs]

i used charcoal and a heavier textured paper for this. a lot of the blending is done just with my fingers, i love the earthiness of charcoal. i use 3 different hardness' of charcoal, starting with the lightest first and working into the hard for final line work. i try to do most of my shading and blending in the begining and hard line in the end.

[Deran]

Nice job dude! That's a great looking portrait. I'm not a big fan of shading the background around the top of the head, but that's just me. It's still a great piece.

[Dog Star]

Originally Posted by jerseyjaywymbs

i used charcoal and a heavier textured paper for this. a lot of the blending is done just with my fingers, i love the earthiness of charcoal. i use 3 different hardness' of charcoal, starting with the lightest first and working into the hard for final line work. i try to do most of my shading and blending in the begining and hard line in the end.

This is awesome!! I love Jack!!

[jerseyjaywymbs]

thanks, we went to the same high school, not at the same time though, i'm not that old yet, lol.

[Dog Star]

Originally Posted by jerseyjaywymbs

thanks, we went to the same high school, not at the same time though, i'm not that old yet, lol.

Really? Now that is hella cool! That guy is awesome. Did they have any stories about him there? I picture him going to detention alot.

[jerseyjaywymbs]

from what i understand, he was quite the pussy hound. had a thing for chicks that looked like elizabeth taylor.