latest drawing attempt

this is a drawing that i did of jerry, my husband. while he might look like he's in deep thought, he's really just checking out the flower garden right below the front porch. he was leaned there on the railing taking a break from playing w/ the children (22, 22 & 26) and the grandchildren (5, 3, 3, 16 months and 4 months) in the front yard. after a good deal of kickball/soccor, tag, chase, ride/pull the wagon, and ride the lawnmower (or in the lawnmower wagon) -- it's exhausting for everyone!!!

i'm trying to force myself to learn and practice the fact that every single detail does not have to be in the picture to make the picture look realistic. for example, in this picture, the background is just blurred together to help put the focus on jerry in the foreground. my normal tendency would be to try to accurately include every weed and bean stalk in the background. while doing that -- i've often messed up my whole forefront drawing b/c i just couldn't fit it all into one piece! also, instead of including every single detail on jerry, i tried to focus on getting the essence of his personality instead.




this drawing was done in a 9 x 12 sketchbook w/ 70# white paper and prang colored pencils, sprayed w/ matte finish sealant to keep it from smearing.