The Snow Blower

[Diamond_Dog]

[femmedem]

1. That's wonderful!

Thanks for sharing it.

[Diamond_Dog]

3. Thank you, femmedem!

The biggest challenge I had in trying to draw this picture was that I had to put the white on first, which is white charcoal pencil…..then draw the boy around the snow.

[LoisB]

2. Excellent.

[Diamond_Dog]

4. Thank you, LoisB!

[bif]

5. Very nice. What medium is it?

I'm guessing acrylics?

[Diamond_Dog]

6. Thank you, bif! It's prismacolor pencil on gray paper.

Except for the white which is white charcoal pencil. I had to put the white down first and draw the figure around the white since the white wouldn’t cover the pencil. It was a challenge…..

[BigmanPigman]

7. That's what I use when I illustrate people

and fashion. I was so glad to finally see the availability of large pads (18×24) of gray toned paper that I knew from my training in art school. For some reason they stopped making them but then I saw Strathmore Toned Gray.

Drawing on toned paper is fantastic since you can use both white and black on the toned foundation. I'm into reflective light and toned paper makes illustrating so much better.

Sometimes I use "Dr. Ph. Martin's bleed proof white" when my conte crayons don't do the trick. I trained to be a fashion illustrator but found in my 2nd year that my career was dead, replaced by photography.

[Diamond_Dog]

8. I started out in illustration and then switched to design,

Now I just draw for a hobby. I loved the class I took in fashion illustration.

I used to be proficient with conte crayons but it’s been eons since I picked one up. So I am very impressed that you can draw with them!

I have a pad of gray Strathmore and tan Strathmore. I really like drawing on something other than stark white exactly for the reason you stated. Back when they used to give out brown paper grocery bags I used to use those to draw on!

[BigmanPigman]

11. I wasn't a Fine Artist but the

I took many painting classes as an Illustration major. I found that when a canvas is lightly painted with a monochromatic color before painting it's much more successful as well as easier. My teacher used Vermeer as an example of this technique and he was right! My painting way much better than I'd hoped.

I also love brush and ink on a toned tablet. That's my favorite way to illustrate. It's a little scary since you can't erase any black ink. I've gone through many pads of paper due to one very, minor problem. We artists are perfectionists....it a curse.

[Nigrum Cattus]

9. Well done

[Diamond_Dog]

10. Thank you Nigrum Cattus

[Beringia]

12. Very pretty

[Diamond_Dog]

14. Thank you Beringia

[Mousetoescamper]

13. Have you ever illustrated a children's book?

One of the first books I was able to read cover-to-cover was Snow, which was illustrated by Roy McKie. Snow was one of the early Dr. Seuss "I Can Read It All By Myself" books.

While your style is distinct from McKie's, "The Snow Blower" and your other recent illustrations of children and snow reminded me of that book I first read more than 60 years ago.

If you haven't yet illustrated a children's book, you might give it a shot. I think you've got the knack.

[Diamond_Dog]

15. What a nice thing to say, Mousetoescamper!

No, I’ve never illustrated a children’s book, I am just drawing for fun and practice right now. I wouldn’t know the first thing about getting into book illustration, but I am so appreciative that you think my drawings are worthy of that.

Right now I’m trying out new things and putting together a portfolio of drawings. Don’t really know what I’ll do with them. Our county’s Art Guild often will display unknown local artists’ work, maybe I’ll start there.
Maybe that might lead to someone willing to pay for my drawings. If not, that’s OK too.

I grew up reading many of those same “I Can Read It All By Myself “ books, too! Reading was so enjoyable to me as a child and all throughout my life.

I remember as a child reading the “Little House on the Prarie “ books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I loved the illustrations done by Garth Williams. Maybe those were in the back of my mind all these years.