METALLIC SUBJECT - VALUE MODELLING IN GRAPHITE

This is a great exercise in value drawing, using a large range of values to create a metallic, reflective look in this object.
Here I have laid out some simple (left-brain) steps that can help a less experienced drawer to nail the proportions more easily before shading.

PS. If you don’t have a battery-operated eraser yet, you will need to all blending with a paper stump, avoiding the little white areas that you have lightly outlined

STEP 1 - print this reference or use it on your screen. Draw very light crosshairs on your page (this was an A4 page, which has a ratio of about 1.4, so use whatever size rectangle you like to do this drawing, just multiply the width of the rectangle to get the height, so the ration is the same.)

REFERENCE WITH CROSS HAIRS

STEP 2- Lightly draw in this circle(with a Hb) and the lower oval shape using your crosshairs to measure their relative position, size and proportions within each quadrant of the page. 

All other shapes can be added onto these construction shapes as seen below

STEP 3 - Add in the ears, jaw, legs etc and when you are happy that all shapes are in proportion and completely refined,

erase your cross hairs and construction circle/oval. (look at each construction shape in proportion to the 4 quadrants

and to the overall shape).

STEP 4 - Now it is time to draw all of the little shapes (the main dark shapes that in turn have light and medium shapes inside of them)

 🟢 on the dog’s head below, you can see I have started shading in some of the dark shapes with my 6B (not as dark as it can go yet). I would have used my 8b but it is hiding currently!!.

  🟢 on his hip and rear leg area, I have gone to the next step and “smooshed”(rubbed the graphite all over the whole area with a paper towel) after the 6B  shading in these dark shapes, then I used my battery eraser to clean up the edges and to pull out the little highlight areas. 

 🟢  Then I have started to go back into the dark areas and deepen the darks yet again with my 6b

 🟢 I recommend working the drawing section by section for this value drawing project

Quite a bit of erasing and cleaning up may be required around the edges to finish, but if you take it slowly, working the values in each section,

keeping a clean piece of paper under your hand to minimise the smudging, the results will be worth it!! If you enjoyed this challenge, look around the house for other interesting metallic objects to draw.