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De Havilland Mosquito pencil drawing


Jonners

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My problem is that I have far too many interests and simply not enough time for them! Very occasionally I get round to doing some pencil drawing, often to 'commissions' from friends, family or colleagues. This one was a Christmas present for my father-in-law who has long been an admirer of the Mossie.

Feel free to pass on any constructive criticism; I've never taken a drawing lesson in my life and don't get to practice much, so any 'top tips' will be welcomed! Perhaps one day I might even find the time to experiment with paint and brush! (Not for some time yet though, unfortunately...)

Jon

MosquitoBIV_zpsad51450d.jpg

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I like that Jonners. Its a great skill to work in one "colour" and just use shading. There are parts of your drawing that are photographic and that's without half closed eyes too. As far as drawing lessons go, I don't think you need any. I took some time out and went to art college. I didn't learn as much as I thought I would, except from other students. It was like a think tank and we were feeding off each other for ideas, that was well worth going for. The course itself was a disappointment, there was a lot of emphasis on abstraction.

You obviously have the eye and skill. You'll tighten up through practise, if that's what you think you need. Try drawing a plane sitting in front of a real one in a museum. You'll see the angles you get, perspective etc. all changes and adds something special. You'll get a kick out that! You could try using paint with pen and crayons together. Get the designer standard of art materials and the pigments are pure, light fast to a degree and the colours match exactly. Like all things they aren't cheap. acrylic paint and ink. Gouache is brilliant. It depends what suits you. I cant get along with oils. Then you get to airbrushing, which is a whole different world. in a nutshell you can experiment with paint, go and draw from life. You have a lightness of touch. I really like the cockpit frames, excellent. I haven't done anything like yours for a long time and it would take even longer to back to the standard I was at. I might add that I've never got to your standard in pencil drawing!

Thanks for showing your work Jonners!

Edited by bzn20
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Thanks for your very generous comments, folks, they are much appreciated. I'll post another one soon-ish. Thanks in particular for the great advice and encouragement, bzn20; I'm in a very intensive period of professional training at the moment, but once that's completed and I can relax the pressure a bit then I intend to devote more time to drawing.

Jon

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Not half bad Jonners :clap2: I've taken lots of drawing "lessons" in my life, and still couldn't manage that level of skill. I was persistent rather than talented, which I reckon petered out after my A Level. :shrug: You've managed ot capture the shape of the aircraft, with nothing screaming out at me as being out of kilter, which a great many published artists can't even manage.

When I say drawing lessons, it's more a case of drawing practice with the occasional "that's nice" thrown in from the teacher...

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That's a really good drawing Jonners . I don't know if the photo accurately reflects the actual drawing - it looks a little light/ delicate in tone to my eye . You might want to consider think about beefing up the contrast next drawing . Don't be afraid of making the dark areas truly dark . That's what makes the subject really stand out .

I hesitate to make the above comment - it is such a pleasing image you have created .

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You're absolutely right, Neil, it is very light in tone...intentionally! Prior to this drawing I'd usually laid down the basic lines with a light 2H pencil, then completed the main image primarily with an HB pencil to give a reasonably 'contrasty' finish, but also using a 2H and 2B where appropriate to give appropriate light and dark contrast. For this drawing I decided to try using a 2H for almost the entire image, with a bit of HB for certain small areas, to see how it came out. The photo is a pretty accurate rendition of the original. The Spitfire that I've shown in another thread was done in the same way, but I'll also get round to posting one or two drawings that have been done using darker pencils and which are therefore more 'contrasty'. I'm not sure which style I prefer; I think it depends on personal taste as much as subject matter. Please don't feel hesitant about making comments - I'm grateful for all feedback!

Jon

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It looks like its flying in strong sunlight. There is a place for chiaroscuro (light and dark) but I think you've hit it just about right.

Caravaggio and Rembrandt were the masters of chiaroscuro, BTW. Worth a look at just about any Caravaggio and Rembrandt's Nachtwacht

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Well spotted, Terry! Actually the original is signed, but it must have been just cropped out of the photo. This is fairly close, but you're right; I've used a simple pocket digital camera (I haven't got anything better) so it's not a precise representation. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased with it, though!

Jon

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