A quick pencil sketch

[geedubelyer]

Howdy all,

Did this one during the World Cup final. (I'm not the worlds' biggest football fan......)

I hope you like it but please feel free to give any tips or criticism you think appropriate.

*Edit* Photo added to illustrate the valid points made upnorth

Edited August 1, 2010 by geedubelyer

[upnorth]

For a quick sketch, it's quite nice.

If you wanted to turn it into a more refined and finished rendering of the subject, you should spend a good amount of time studying photos of the real thing to get an idea of proportions. I saw quite a few F-5s while growing up in Canada, and by what I remember of them, your drawing is a bit out in size relationships of various areas of the aircraft.

The most noticable for me is that the exhausts are on the small side in relation to the overall size you drew the rest of the plane in, this in turn has made the vertical fin and the area of the spine just a ahead of it look a bit too large in relation to the rest.

From the perspective and angle you've drawn the subject at, the viewer shouldn't be able to see the top side of that plate that sits atop the vertical fin. In fact, from the angle you've drawn it, there should be no evidence of that plate save for the shadow it would cast on the fin.

Another spot for refinement would be where the left wingtip joins the tip tank. I don't think the trailing edge connected to the tank so far back. Additionally, you'll want to reduce the chord of the wingtip there as the wingtip was much narrower at the point of connection to the tank than you have depicted.

Your sketch has the potential to serve as a good base for a much more refined finished piece, it needs a touch of correction in spots though.

Have you ever taken any drawing courses? If not, you might want to consider taking some. You clearly have a developable drawing talent, I think some evening or weekend classes would be a worthwhile investment of your money and time.

Edited July 31, 2010 by upnorth

[upnorth]

Here's a link to a small walkaround that has some photos showing the subject from similar angles to what you've prented it at and illustrate a bit some of the proportional issues I pointed out:

http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/ulrich_wrede/f-5b_tiger/

I hope it's helpful to you and I'd look forward to seeing you make a more refined rendering.

[geedubelyer]

Thank you very much for your honest and constructive criticism upnorth, very much appreciated.

I am grateful to you for explaining where you think I should concentrate my efforts. It is always helpful to get another perspective.

I've added the photo from the magazine that I sketched from to my original post, used in this instance solely for illustration purposes. I think it shows perfectly the points you make.

I have never had any lessons beyond school (all that time ago)

I've briefly considered it on occasion but at this stage my sketching is a very sporadic source of light entertainment. Perhaps when my eyesight is too poor to continue plastic modelling to any great degree I'll then turn my attention more fully to drawing and painting......

Once again, many thanks for your keen insight. I hope you will continue to offer your advice when I post more in the future

Edited August 1, 2010 by geedubelyer