WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I always do the sky or the background when needed first. The technique I like is by using a soft piece of tissue paper to apply the graphite. I never touch and actual pencil to these areas. It is all hand-rubbed. I take and flip the copy I used to trace my line work with the #3 lead or graphite on the back. I rub the tissue on the leaded surface to pick up a good coat.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I then go to my illustration board where I start to rub on the outer edges where the drafting tape is. The drafting tape does a good job of keeping a nice clean border. This method does take some practice to get a feeling of sky or marbled background. I try to keep the darker areas to the outer edge, the corners and near the subject or objects in the piece. You can go darker by rubbing harder or take a softer lead like a #6 or #8 and scribble more lead down on you paper back. Use the tissue again to pick up the darker lead if you want to go darker in some areas.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

When I am satisfied with my results, I will go in and with the kneaded eraser and take any rub marks out of the areas where I don't want them. I am actually now ready to pick up a #4 Fiber-Castell pencil and start to draw. More later. I have to take out garbage, clean and mow the yard and well you know. I "will" be back.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

OK everyone, where was I? Oh yeah, I was doing a "pencil tutorial," right? Just so everybody knows, as Pat said right above, that her and I are "cool." We said our "sorrys."

I know that there are others out there who probably agree with Pat but I feel that I have a lot to show you. Some of you have said that you have learned a few of my "magic tricks" already. I know you will all not be doing exactly what I am doing here but I guarantee that you will walk away with some little tip or hint that can be applied somewhere else in your work. Remember this, I am a "Graphic Artist" first. I want and need to take the least amount of time to do a piece. "Time is money." Let's get back to it. ;{

As a rule, I usually draw from my reference lying above my piece that I am drawing. I have two real good friends who are "pencil artist supreme" that use a method to watch their reference while they draw. They take and attach their reference to their board with tape at the top like a flap.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

This way they can keep lifting it to view it exactly where it lies over the exact spot they are working on. They keep lifting the reference up and down rapidly so they can see how close they are. This is the technique that they taught for years at Vanity Fair where I work now. They used to do all pencil sketches for their T-shirt art where most everything is done with photographs now. I figured that I would show you this method too. It just might work better for you.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

But as I said above, I like to look at my reference just above or maybe off to the left of where I am working. In this case, I am looking at my large colored print as I draw. I also "always, always" rest my hand on a black and white same size copy for two reasons. One, so I have a black and white for another reference, but most importantly, to keep from smearing any of my work below. Really try to keep your board as clean as possible. Remember this, you don't want to smear anything, unless you plan it. These marks are really hard to get up after you have smeared them in with an oily hand.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I have finally "put pencil to board." I usually start with a #4 leaded pencil. I really prefer the German made Fiber-Castel drawing pencils. They really lay down a really nice smooth coverage. They also seem to keep a point longer. I use an electric sharpener and often. There are real good hand sharpeners out there too.

As I said before, I am working on a medium-weight, hot-press "Cresent" illustration board. I really prefer the hot-press surface because is it the smoothest surface I can find that takes pencil lead well. There is literally no "tooth" or roughness. I like the effect I get. It looks more like the photo I am drawing from. It gives you smoother blending. I have found that most pencil artist like the "cold-press" because they like the textured look better. They might not be going for the full "realism thing" that I am. The hot-press board doesn't "eat up" you pencil points as fast.

When I am doing a portrait, I usually start with the head, hair, hat area first. I have started with Leigh's hair first in this case. I start working lightly with the #4 pencil. After I get a light layer of pencil all over her hair, I go back in and start to draw "darker." If you notice, when I go back in for this step, I start to draw the areas "between" the hairs instead of drawing the actual strands. I then go into the darkest areas and gradually darken them. No way is her hair complete. I will go back and add much more detail. I will then move to the face. I'll be back.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I went back in started the processes of adding more detail and contrast. This is all still being done with the #4 pencil. I will go in later and start to darken areas with the #6 pencil. I like to wait till I get the face penciled in. This makes it easier when you look at the hair and face a s whole. As you can see, I said earlier that I would make Leigh a "brunette," her natural hair color. But having her as a blonde here in my reference, it makes it a lot easier to see the detail that is there. Do blondes have more fun? Ask Leigh. She dyed it back, you guess.

Time for this step is 1.5 hours.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I have gone in and penciled in Leigh's face. I have drawn her whole face using a #4 pencil as I used to do her hair to this point. The one thing that I have done different is to use a "blending Tortillon" or a "rub stick" to smooth out her complexion. This is so you don't see any pencil strokes. I will go back in probably a time or two later and make adjustments.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

Now here is the kneaded eraser being used to lighten areas such as highlights in her hair or highlights on a nose lip or check. You can even use it to press into a whole area to lighten slightly without rubbing.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

Here is a scan of what I have done to this point. I just wanted to emphasize the size that I am working in. That is my favorite "Buffalo nickel" necklace laying there so you can get a reference to the size I work in. The nickel is 7/8" wide. It is less than an inch wide, so Leigh's face is less than 2.5" tall.

I will now go in with a #6 and start to darken areas where I have already drawn. From there I will work my way to her left hand and the camera next.

Time for this step is 3 hours.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

Since I posted the last scan, I have gone in with a #6 and #8 pencil, and started to darken Leigh's hair and add more contrast. I have used the kneaded eraser to put slight highlights in her hair. I have also made slight adjustments to her face. A face is a real battle to achieve an exact likeness. When I am doing a portrait of a Native American, the exact likeness is not quite as critical. Most of them are not really recognizable. But when I am doing a portrait of myself, a Selleck, a Clint Eastwood and now Leigh, an exact likeness is paramount to me.

After my last post last night, I called Leigh in and we both studied the portrait. I feel that it is really important to get another "set of eyes" to look at your work. It is so easy to miss something. Especially after staring at you work for hours. I have had Leigh walk up behind me and say, "what is that right there?" It would be something so obvious to someone else immediately but maybe not to you. We both critiqued it and realized that were a couple of obvious things that needed adjusted. Even with my original trace lines that I was so careful to lay down, it is still so easy to get something off, especially the facial features. We decided the eyes needed fixed which I did. I adjusted the nose and lips slightly.

As you can see, I started to draw in her hands and the camera. One reason that I like to have some "props" is that I feel that drawing things that are detailed, that this will add greatly to the realism. Props like her camera, rings, bracelet and watch have a lot of different textures which I enjoy drawing. They usually have nice shiny highlights. I have gone in with a "used" rub sticks as a drawing tool. You can see this on her camera, sweater and hands. These surfaces have as little pencil strokes as possible. The rub stick lays down such a smooth surface. It also erases easily too when you are doing your highlights.

Time for this step is 4 hours.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

This is tonight's work. It consisted mostly of drawing her sweater. The majority of her sweater was actually drawn using a "rub stick" that was consistently being rubbed in pencil lead and then transferred the board. There were very little actual pencil strokes here. What strokes are seen, are mostly on the ribbed-knit cuffs and bottom, with some in the creases and shadows. There was a little more detail and darkening added to her hands and camera. A glare was added to the camera lens with the kneaded eraser. This was something that was not actually present in the photograph, but I felt that it would add to "realism" of the piece. Tomorrow night, I should be able to get a good start on her jeans and boots.

Tonight's time was another 3 hours. That's a total of 12 hours so far. This does not include the time to do the tutorial, or any scans or postings.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I'm back. Today's work started with me using a #4 pencil to go in lightly and fill in the jeans and boots. This is no way close to the way they will look when they are done. I try to put enough contrast in this step to see where my light and dark areas will be of detail if you will. You will notice that you are able to see actual pencil strokes all though today's work. When I do this first layer I draw my strokes in the direction that the denim material lines run, which would be length-wise running up and down her leg, no matter how it bends. This gives a base to start with. I will now go in with more of the #4 and work into the #6. I will back later.

BTW, I have gone in and made some slight adjustments to Leigh's face and camera. This is from numerous critiques to what "others" have seen. They are slight but can "make or break" the end result.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

More contrast and more detail. Mostly #4 lead. I will be going in working darker, mostly in the shadow areas of the jean and boots with the #6.

2.5 more hours.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

OK. I darken the shadow areas I as I said I would. Once I had the jeans and boots where I wanted them, I went over them with the rub stick to smooth things out. I did not completely rub out the pencil strokes on the jeans. The pencil streaks give the subtle appearance of the fabric parallel lines. I now have Leigh pretty much complete. I will go back and adjust things on her after I pencil in the background. Once you view them together, you will see things that need "pushed and pulled" to bring certain things out. I am tired and my little finger on my right hand is going numb. That's it for today guys.

That was another 2 hours.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I did manage to "rough in" the trees and the mountains today. Lightly matter of fact. This was all done with a #4 lead. This is the first "grayscale" scan that I have done. The others are in color. I figured that I would take a look at it this way to see how it was looking.

Two more hours for this step.-D

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

I have gone through the trees and mountains with a #6 lead. I put some contrast where needed. After darkening with pencil, I took a large, soft rub stick and rubbed all the trees and mountains. I am going to go back in to the same areas and darken the shadows more.

This is two hours more. 20.5 hours total to this point.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

More contrast on trees and mountains as promised. Now on to the creek and foreground.

This is one more hour.

WESTERN ARTWORK By Denny Karchner 03 Nov 2005

Well everyone, here is the final version. As you can see, I saved one last thing for the final post. I didn't even tell Leigh what the little surprise was or the title. I didn't want to "show my hand" till the last second. The buffalo was the final element that brings it "all together." I had a total of 24 hours to complete this "pencil." I can't even say how long the whole tutorial took. Probably four times that long. I started the thread on February 21st. That is a total of 24 days to complete "A PENCIL FOR LEIGH", which is now titled "A BUFFALO FOR LEIGH."