Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Cherries


I'd really planned on participating in Illustration Friday this week, but I just had to draw these gorgeous cherries that I bought on Sunday at our local farmers' market. They were next to the usual Bing and Rainier varieties, in a bin labeled "Big Reds"—and they're delicious.

Since I'm enjoying a lazy summer day, I thought it might be fun to share a bit more of my set-up process, since it can make or break a simple still life, at least for me.

I like to draw sitting with a drawing board in my lap, propped against my desk. I like the flexibility of being able to move it and turn it around while I'm drawing. So, I usually set my "models" up on the desk itself. (You can see by the pits on the paper towel that I ate one of my prospective models.)


I chose some cherries that I thought were interesting, and moved them around until I liked the arrangement.

When I'm arranging multiple objects, I take a little viewing frame that I made from a picture mat and thread and look at my subject through it. The frame is divided into thirds both directions, so that I can use the "Rule of Thirds" in making the final composition. (Wouldn't my high school art teachers be proud?) This gives me a framework in which to draw a rough sketch (really rough in this case):


(Sometimes after the sketch is done, I'll scan it and enlarge or reduce it as desired before tracing it onto my final paper on my lightbox.) Then, the little viewer's work is done, and I just draw, looking at the subject; I don't use reference photos except when drawing something that moves around lot..like my chickens!

Here are a couple of work-in-progress shots:


I'm often tempted to forgo the shadows, and just leave objects floating in the white space, but I went ahead and added shadows. Do you have a preference?

Off to try and think of something "secret" to draw for Illustration Friday—and to snack on some more cherries.

22 comments:

  1. Oh gee. These are better than the real ones!!!!

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  2. Cool process! I've never seen a little frame used like that before and believe it or not, I never had an art teacher teach about the rule of thirds. I'm learning it now on the fly from terrific posts like yours! Beautiful drawing. And I like the shadows. They make the white space work by anchoring the cherries.

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  3. Beautiful and realistic enough to bite into! I can just imagine the juice spilling out. I love cherries, but they are not affordable in northern Japan where I live. :(

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  4. Wow, so much depth and vibrancy! I like the shadows for the contrasting shapes they make. Really beautiful!

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  5. Beautiful! And I definitely vote for shadows. That extra step takes it from a study to something to frame in my mind. Thanks for sharing your process!

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  6. So lifelike! I loved having a look at your process - the little viewfinder is a very clever idea.

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  7. Sarah! I'm so happy to see these beautiful cherries. You really, really work magic! I can smell the scent on my screen. : ) Thank you for sharing a bit of your process..it's excellent to see how you work and to see the rule of 1/3ds captured so well in your piece. I also love the "faded" illustration below as well. I hope you're having a lovely June..we finally have some of the hot days of summer, and my kids are enjoying the pool! Have a lovely rest of the week and I am always happy to read your kind comment..thanks for stopping by!

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  8. PS - I know how you feel about the shadows..and leaving the items floating. Hmmm...I think I'm tending to the ones without shadow as they just pop off the page. : )

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  9. Beautifully mouthwatering! You're making me wonder if the UK cherries are in the shops yet.

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  10. Sarah, I SO love seeing your process. You sure can draw! As for the shadow question. I like it both ways. I could see the shadow-less one so easily as more of a graphic--as in, on the front of a greeting card. As stand-alone art work, I prefer the shadowed one. BOTH are GORGEOUS!

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  11. I like the shadows a lot. . .really grounds the piece :). Now I have a total craving for some cherries lol

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  12. Yum yum delicious looking cherries Sarah. Love seeing your work in progress too, it always amazes me the amount of depth you create with your stunning layers of colour.

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  13. I liked them both Sarah. And, as a self taught artist, I learned quite a lot today. Thank you.

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  14. I love these cherries and the colours, great to see how you work too. With shadows would be my preference :)

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  15. Love these cherries. Fascinating to see your work in progress Sarah. I like the shadows.

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  16. They are edible! I like the shadow version, it grounds them.
    I really love seeing your process, so interesting to see how you work!

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  17. You're making me hungry! Indeed, they look good enough to eat. The deep red and subtle color shifts on the final version are beautiful. I like seeing the shadows – it adds that last bit of realism to the image. Although, without the shadow, they'll work nicely as a fabric pattern. Simply gorgeous, Sarah!

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  18. I agree with others -- these cherries are absolutely gorgeous! It was fun reading about how you set this scene up for painting. Very nice!

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  19. The cherries are making my mouth water! Beautiful reds and highlights.

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  20. heh I didn't know I was hungry till I came here. I like the shadows for this one, after all it is grounded in reality. Excuse me I am going to the fridge to see what I can eat :)

    The cherries in your drawing are beautifulicious :)

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  21. Wonderful cherries - beautifully drawn.
    I like with and without shadows but do feel shadows place them better (if you know what I mean).
    Stew.
    stewcrowther.wordpress.com
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