More drawing

A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

I think fairies must be visiting during the night and rubbing out bits of my latest drawing as I’m continually having to go over areas I’d already done and was happy to call finished. I’d hoped to be showing the finished drawing today too but I’m not quite there yet. It’s been a challenging drawing, not only with having to re-do the bits the fairies deleted, but tonally too and getting them just right. Lots of subtle tones and building up of layers.

Can’t believe it’s week 5 of the Dutch Auction of ‘Curiosity’ already – where has the time gone. This of course means that as of yesterday it is now down to £120!

Lusitano

Pencil on Mellotex Paper
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

Concentration hasn’t been my strong point recently as I can’t seem to see a drawing through to the end without losing interest and starting something new. This is the third drawing I’ve started and have yet to finish. Saying that I’m still deciding how far I want to go with this piece or if in fact I want to leave it as it is. The more I look at it the more I’m leaning towards the latter. I have two more drawings I need to finish first so still have time to think about it.

The subject of this drawing is a stunning Lusitano horse called Sueste.

Work In Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011
My thanks to Sarah Clegg for allowing me to use her photograph

New Start

Graphite Pencil, 24cm x 24cm
Copyright Laura Hardie 2011

The start of a New Year - my daughter said to me on the 1st that she feels it is going to be a good one for us and after the last two we’ve had I’m hoping she’s right - we’re definitely due a good year and I, for one, am looking forward to it. So here’s to 2011, may it be a happy, healthy and productive one for us all.

Normally over the Christmas break, in between eating way too much (I would say drinking and partying too but I’m a good girl:)) I give some thought to my art goals and plans for the coming year. In the past I’ve put those up for all to see – the more people that saw my goals, the more real they were, making me more accountable to them and seeing them through. Gives you that extra push, well that was my reasoning, but what you never take into account is life and what it can throw at you. Those life ‘challenges’ can really interfere with all your good intentions no matter how hard you try not to let them. So this year, while I do have a business plan (honest) and know where I want to be heading, I’m going to keep it to myself for the time being. While I feel a lot more positive and determined this year I’m not unrealistic - I’m still going through a very painful divorce and I know that when I get those papers through the post that it will hit me hard as anybody who has gone through a divorce will know. Hoping that keeping myself occupied with my art and trying to achieve my set goals will help take my mind of it. As would a gorgeous, kind, thoughtful, Adonis ……..oh, and a lottery win – one or both would be very nice and a great help I’m sure!

The picture in today’s post is a drawing of a horse I started back in July of last year but gave up working on as I had no motivation left to finish it. Amazing what a break from a piece and looking at it with fresh eyes can do - I’m a lot happier with it now and just need to come up with a suitable title. Any suggestions welcome. I’m now thinking about including more horses to my portfolio in the hope of getting a drawing or two into the SEA Exhibition this year.

I’d like to finish this post by welcoming all the new followers to my blog, over 200 of you – I’m delighted you like it enough to want to come back. It was a wonderful surprise to see Animal Art Adventures had been chosen by the Blogger team as their ‘Blog of Note’ (thank you Blogger team:)) – how exciting to see my blog recognised in this way. I hope you all continue to like my work in 2011 and I look forward to your thoughts and comments.

Studio updates

Contemplation
Pencil, 26.5cm x 33cm
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Note to self – I REALLY must stop neglecting my blog! Once again I find myself falling behind with posts and, short of laziness, there’s really no excuse for it.

As you can see from the above photo, my lab is now finished and is currently at the printers as I write, along with Black on White and Seriously!, ready to be made into Limited Edition Prints. After wasting many hours, paper and ink I decided that graphite was just too difficult to scan and print myself and that it was best left to the professionals!

I’m also delighted to say that two of my drawings, Anticipation and Daydreamer, have made it onto a gallery wall and can be seen at the Stockbridge Gallery in Hampshire. The Stockbridge Gallery specialises in dog art and I feel privileged to be amongst some great artists there.

I plan to keep adding to my collection of dog drawings but do want to include other animals along the way. So to start, I’m currently working on a horse that’s not too far from completion now – actually the more I look at it the more I can see that needs doing so it could take a bit longer than I think! I’ve included a couple of progress shots.

Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2010

Patience - finished

Patience
16x12 Coloured Pencil
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

It’s been a while coming but here she is, finished and waiting for approval.

Nearly there

Patience
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Another quick post where I don't have a lot to say but do have an update on Patience to show you. The next post should see her finished.

An update

Patience
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

The work continues and Patience is starting to come together. I think I can honestly say that from the many portraits I've had the pleasure of drawing that this has been one of the hardest coat colours to get right – every hair seems to be a different shade of grey. Luckily I have enough pencils to choose from.

Scanner or Camera?

Patience
A Work in Progress
Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about photographing and/or scanning artwork trying to decipher which method gives the best result. I’m assuming this would be a matter of opinion amongst artists with arguments for and against both. I personally always scan my drawings simply because I’m not very good with the camera, get lost when it comes to setting the right exposure and get better results with my scanner – although, as explained in my last post, I’ve never been totally happy with the finished images, despite playing around with them in Photoshop.

As it is about time I stop moaning about this and doing something about it I thought (to avoid personally emailing you all:)) I would start with a poll on my blog to see what your preferred method is. I’m interested to know how you get good images of your artwork - the kind that you would be happy using for such things as prints to sell, for use on marketing materials, website or for entries into exhibitions. In other words, good, clear images that remain true (as possible) to the original.

I’ll leave the poll running for a fortnight in the hope of getting as many replies as possible and hope you will participate. I also welcome any comments you might have on the subject.

The image in todays post is what I am currently working on. I’m really excited about this drawing as, although not my first horse, it is my first to commission. Here’s hoping it leads to more. This is the first stage and I should have another update soon.

Changes

Graphite pencil on paper, 11'x8'

Copyright Laura Hardie 2009

Something I have been meaning to do for a long time is to update my blog and move with the times as far as it was concerned. I think I was the only blogger left using the old template and I was feeling a bit left out especially when I saw all the wonderful things you could add using the layout tab.

Of course, it was easy enough to change and I did this last year but disliked the way it moved everything around in my earlier posts – mainly squashing everything together and leaving no spaces between paragraphs and pictures. Being a perfectionist and not having the faintest idea how to amend all this I went back to the old template – at least this way everything looked alright.

But I guess the layout tab has won (it was either that or starting a new blog) because I’ve now changed back as you can probably tell with all the additions I’ve added to my sidebar. I spent quite a bit of time on this last night, even tried to edit my text in previous posts with the spacebar so everything didn’t look so cramped but it didn’t work – that will probably niggle away at me until I find a solution or grow to accept it. What is bothering me more however is the appearance of what looks like a small spanner and screwdriver appearing several times down the sidebar on the left – can you see them? I went to bed last night and they were there, got up this morning and they’d gone, made a change in layouts and they’re back to haunt me. Now everytime I check my blog they are there – does anyone know what they are and how to get rid of them? And there are people I have added to my blogroll who aren’t showing and I’m at a loss to why. I’m sure I make things difficult for myself as nothing ever seems to run smoothly.

My blog will probably be a work in progress for a couple of weeks until I get everything as I like it so bear (or is it bare) with me as I play around with it.

I’m calling my graphite drawing of a horse finished for the time being – I’m still undecided what to do with the background and I may yet continue the shading to the edges of the paper. Looking at it now on screen I think something needs to be done though it does look better in real life.

A horse with no name

Coloured Pencil
27.5cm x 19cm
Copyright Laura Hardie

I always feel I’m making excuses but once again circumstances at home have seen me unable to spend the time I would like on my art, and blogging, with both being pushed to one side as I try to deal with other things.

One of these ‘things’ has been flat hunting - very tiring but I think I’ve found the right one. All going well I should be moved in by the first week in October and keeping everything crossed I’ll be online by then too – can’t bear the thought of having no Internet. I have a lot to organise before then but will be putting pencil to paper when the time permits and try to pop in a post when I can to show you the results, but if they’re a bit sporadic for the next few weeks, you know why.

As you can see with the above pic (currently without a title), I’m still continuing to draw horses when I can, and what began as a specific goal to finish a set amount within the year has turned into a bit of an obsession with me always on the lookout for my next model. I love drawing them and I'd like to see myself specialise in this area somewhere down the line – at least concentrate more on the equine side of things. I’ve still got a long way to go of course before I can say I’m an equine artist but I’m definitely enjoying the journey and putting together a portfolio of work – just wish I had the opportunity to take more of my own reference photos.

Summer Breeze

Summer Breeze
Coloured Pencil
24.5cm x 33.5cm

This is a drawing I started a while back and have now added a background to. I am someone who very rarely adds a background to their work, preferring to focus all my attention on the subject, and I want to explore this more. But I don’t know – when I don’t do a background I can feel something’s missing and if I do one I more often than not think it looked better without. Almost like it is taking something away from the subject. There really is no pleasing me sometimes.

Summer Breeze is one of those drawings where I felt a background was needed and when added I had no regrets. As far as backgrounds go it’s simple and uncomplicated but I’m pleased with how it turned out – enough to turn it into prints.