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TO OR NOT TO

Brenda Hoddinott

J-02 INTERMEDIATE: SKILLS & SECRETS


In order for blending to work well, an artist must be very skilled at rendering graduated values. After all, there has to be something to blend. This lesson provides guidance for properly adding shading to graphite drawings prior to blending, discusses the process of blending, and introduces various blending tools and methods. Artists with the basic skills of hatching and/or crosshatching graduations can explore various techniques and tools for blending graphite drawings, throughout the following five sections: COMPARING SHADING WITHOUT AND WITH BLENDING: You compare the same drawing of a smooth grape before and after it is blended, so you can see which style you prefer. A discussion provides insights into the shading and blending processes. SUGGESTED BLENDING TOOLS: Blending is the process of rubbing shading lines with a blending tool (sometimes called a blender), to evenly distribute the drawing media over the surface of the paper. The pros and cons of various types of blending tools are discussed. HOW NOT TO SET UP FOR BLENDING: As demonstrated in this section, expecting blending to fix poorly done shading in a graphite drawing, is totally unrealistic. SETTING UP HATCHING FOR SMOOTH BLENDING: Blending is popular, and many beginners love to use blended hatching in their graphite drawings. SETTING UP CROSSHATCHING FOR SMOOTH BLENDING: Small, delicate crosshatched strokes on smooth paper, creates a softly rendered graduation of values without blending. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using blending for any drawing, if an even smoother texture is the look you wish to achieve.

11 PAGES 16 ILLUSTRATIONS
This lesson is recommended for artists, with good shading skills, as well as home schooling, academic and recreational fine art educators. Published by Hoddinott Fine Art Publishers, Halifax, NS, Canada, Revised 2005

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COMPARING SHADING WITHOUT AND WITH BLENDING


When I was new to drawing, I always used blending to make my graduated shading smooth. However, it didnt work well for most of my portraits because the texture of the skin tended to look like porcelain, or the faces ended up looking like cartoons. Blended drawings often look non-realistic and flat when the blending is not done well. I spoiled many drawings before I figured out how to do blending properly. I eventually discovered that blending graphite isnt a deep dark secret! The key to ending up with beautiful shading with blending is to apply your initial shading with carefully rendered squirkling, hatching or crosshatching graduations before you begin blending. Well done blending is also dependant on the different pencils you use and the types of paper and blending tools you choose. You just have to experiment with different techniques and drawing supplies until you find what works best for you! By using contour crosshatching lines that followed the forms of the grape (Illustration 02-01), I created the illusion of form and depth. The cast shadow grounds the grape so it doesnt look like it is floating. The darkest values in the shadow are close to the lower edge of the grape to help create the illusion of weight. ILLUSTRATION 02-01 This drawing was prepared for blending as follows: First, the grape and its shadow were carefully outlined. Light values were then added with contour crosshatching. I added darker shading until I achieved a strong contrast of values. Contrast measures the degree of difference between the light and dark values within shading. The shadow was added with hatching lines. Small intricate details, such as the stem were defined last.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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In Illustration 02-02, you see the grape after the hatching and crosshatching lines were blended with Q-tips and facial tissues. The blending process was as follows: Using a Q-tip, I first very gently blended the light values around the highlight of the grape. Working progressively from light to dark I used circular movements to blend the values. If the shading became too light in the dark shadowed areas, I added more graphite and blended again. I continued applying graphite to certain sections and repeating the blending process with facial tissues until I was happy with the results. The shadow was blended very slightly from light to dark, so some of the hatching lines were still noticeable. ILLUSTRATION 02-02

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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I love hatching and crosshatching techniques and find the visible lines to be artsy and fun. The shading in Illustration 02-01 was done with both hatching and crosshatching lines, in preparation for blending the values, to create the shiny texture of the grape in Illustration 02-02. It is completely up to you whether you choose to blend or not to blend. Both techniques are a lot of fun, so it all comes down to the personal preference of the artist! Examine both drawings of the grape, without and with blending, to see which you prefer. Drawing shading with hatching, squirkling, or crosshatching lines is much easier to control than blending values together. Expect to not be happy with your first few tries to blend graphite. However, with time, patience, and practice you do get better!

Refer to Q-02 Grape Smoothie in Intermediate: Places and Things for step-by-step instructions on drawing, shading, and blending the grape illustrated in this lesson.

SUGGESTED BLENDING TOOLS


Blending is the process of rubbing shading lines with a blending tool (sometimes called a blender), to evenly distribute the drawing media over the surface of the paper, thereby achieving a smooth graduation of values. Various blending tools create different textures. Texture is the surface detail of an object, as defined in a drawing with various shading techniques. The senses of touch and sight help identify the surface texture of drawing subject. Some blending tools to consider experimenting with include: Facial Tissues: are great for softening most pencil strokes, but be careful not to wear the tissue away to the point that your fingers are doing the blending and not the tissue. Wrap several layers around your finger and check often that the tissue isnt wearing away. Blending Stumps or Tortillons: are tightly wound sticks of paper with points on both ends. You find them in art supply stores and can choose from lots of different sizes. Big ones are great for large areas of shading, and the tiny ones work well for more detailed sections of your drawing. Paper Towels: are another option and are more durable than facial tissues. Q-tips: work beautifully for tiny detailed sections of drawings, and offer lots of control when moving graphite around on your paper. Paper: brings out the texture of the drawing paper, which in turn can create some really neat textures in your drawings. Felt: creates different textures for a variety of drawing subjects. You should stay with white pieces so colored dyes dont spoil your drawings. You can find felt at department or craft supply stores, sometimes sold in convenient 1 by 1 foot squares. Chamois: This stuff is available in lots of stores and is great when you need to create a very smoothly textured surface, such as for glass or a shiny piece of fruit.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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HOW NOT TO SET UP FOR BLENDING


Of course, you know that you will end up with the same white paper you begin with if you try to blend without a base of graphite. On the other hand, expecting blending to fix poorly done shading is also totally unrealistic. In the following exercises, you need 2H, HB, 2B, 4B and 6B pencils; good quality drawing paper; and blending tools such as facial tissues, paper towels and/or Q-tips. 1) Draw several random lines with a 2B pencil on your drawing paper. Draw lots of loosely sketched lines (as in Illustration 02-03) ILLUSTRATION 02-03

2)

Wrap a facial tissue (or piece of paper towel) around the end of one of your fingers. With gentle circular movements, blend the lines together as well as you possibly can. As you can clearly see, poorly rendered shading lines cannot be magically transformed into beautiful smooth blending; no matter what tools you use, or how much time you spend trying to make it work. ILLUSTRATION 02-04

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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3)

Draw a loosely rendered graduation of values from light to dark or from dark to light. In Illustration 02-05, a set of hatching lines is graduated from dark to light. In Illustration 02-06, you find a graduation from light to dark. ILLUSTRATION 02-05

ILLUSTRATION 02-06

When blending NEVER use your fingers! As a matter of fact, try not to ever touch your drawing paper with your fingers or hands in sections you plan to blend. The powder component in graphite works almost exactly like the fingerprinting powder used by criminal investigative sections of police departments. Your skin can transfer oil to the paper. This oil becomes visible after blending, especially in the lighter values. Then, it becomes darn near impossible to create a smooth, even tone with graphite in those areas with finger or hand prints.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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4)

Wrap a facial tissue or a small piece of fabric or paper towel around the end of one of your fingers. You are welcome to experiment with any other blending tools, such as a blending stump or a tortillon.

5)

With gentle circular movements, blend the lines together as well as you possibly can. Try any techniques you can think of to obtain a nice smooth graduated tone with blending from these loosely drawn lines. Even if the surface of your paper survives your attempts, you will inevitably end up with a messy, rough, smudgy effect as you can see in Illustrations 02-07 and 02-08. ILLUSTRATION 02-07

ILLUSTRATION 02-08

Now that you know how NOT to set up for blending, try the techniques in the next section and make an effort to get better results.

SETTING UP HATCHING FOR SMOOTH BLENDING


Some well accomplished and professional artists have perfectly mastered blending techniques and their drawings look incredible. Blending is popular, and many beginners also love to use blending techniques in their graphite drawings. But, blending is unbelievably difficult to do well.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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Dont allow any instructor or teacher to convince you that their way of blending is the best. Experiment with as many different techniques and tools as you possibly can. If you like certain ways of blending, use them, but keep your mind open and never hesitate to try new techniques and/or tools. You are a unique individual with distinctive artistic needs. In order to continue developing your own vision and style, you must stay true to yourself! I very rarely use blending in my own drawings because I love seeing shading lines and the textures they create. But, you have to decide for yourself what you like or dont like! In this lesson, I show you what blending techniques work well for me. 6) Render a graduation with hatching lines that are close together. Your values should graduate very gently from light to dark or from dark to light. Shading lines need to be close together and tightly rendered with a very smooth and gentle gradation from dark to light (or light to dark). This will ensure a smooth blending of the pencil marks into a graduation. A piece of scrap of paper, placed under your drawing hand as you draw, will protect your drawing from the oils of your skin. ILLUSTRATION 02-09

ILLUSTRATION 02-10

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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7)

With any blending tool you prefer, gently blend your hatching graduation from the lighter section toward the darker section. Continue blending until your graduation is as smooth as you like, but be careful not to rub the surface of your paper off! Illustrations 02-12 and 02-13 show detailed, close-up views of blended hatching, from light to dark and dark to light. ILLUSTRATION 02-11

ILLUSTRATION 02-12

ILLUSTRATION 02-13

SETTING UP CROSSHATCHING FOR SMOOTH BLENDING


I love to shade my drawings with meticulously rendered crosshatching lines. Small, delicate strokes on smooth paper, creates a softly rendered graduation of values without blending. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using blending for any drawing, if an even smoother texture is the look you wish to achieve.
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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8)

Render a graduation (from light to dark or from dark to light) with crosshatching lines that are close together. ILLUSTRATION 02-14

9)

Blend your crosshatching graduation from light to dark. Keep a piece of scrap paper under your hand to prevent accidentally smudging or transferring oils from your hands onto your drawing surface. Illustration 02-16 shows a close-up view of blended crosshatching. ILLUSTRATION 02-15

ILLUSTRATION 02-16

Even though I recommend some specific blending tools, please dont limit yourself to my suggestions! Experiment with some creative ideas of your own! Just make sure whatever you choose is clean and that colored items (such as fabrics) dont leave their dyes on your drawing!
Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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BRENDA HODDINOTT - BIOGRAPHY


As a self-educated teacher, visual artist, portraitist, forensic artist, and illustrator, Brenda Hoddinott utilizes diverse art media including graphite, technical pen, colored pencil, chalk pastel, charcoal, cont crayon, and oil paints.

My philosophy on teaching art is to focus primarily on the enjoyment aspects while gently introducing the technical and academic. Hence, in creating a passion for the subject matter, the quest for knowledge also becomes enjoyable.
>Brenda Hoddinott<

Born in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Brenda grew up in the small town of Corner Brook. She developed strong technical competencies with a personal commitment to self directed learning, and the aid of assorted Learn to Draw books. During Brendas twenty-five year career as a self-educated civilian forensic artist, numerous criminal investigation departments have employed Brendas skills, including Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police departments. In 1992, Brenda was honored with a commendation from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and in 1994, she was awarded a Certificate of Membership from Forensic Artists International. Her home-based art career included graphic design, and teaching recreational drawing and painting classes. As supervisor of her communitys recreational art department, Brenda hired and trained teachers, and designed curriculum for several childrens art programs. In 1998, Brenda chose to end her eighteen-year career as an art educator in order to devote more time to writing, drawing, painting, and developing her websites. Drawspace http://www.drawspace.com incorporates her unique style and innovative approach to curriculum development. This site offers downloadable and printable drawing classes for students of all abilities from the age of eight through adult. Students of all ages, levels and abilities have praised the simple step-by-step instructional approach. This site is respected as a resource for fine art educators, home schooling programs, and educational facilities throughout the world.

LEARN-TO-DRAW BOOKS BY BRENDA HODDINOTT


Drawing for Dummies (2003): Wiley Publishing, Inc., New, York, NY, this 336 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally. The Complete Idiots Guide to Drawing People (2004): Winner of the Alpha-Penguin Book of the Year Award 2004, Alpha - Pearson Education Macmillan, Indianapolis, IN, this 360 page book is available on various websites and in major bookstores internationally.

Copyright to all articles, images, text, projects, lessons and exercises within this drawing class belong to Brenda Hoddinott and may not be reproduced or used for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the written permission of Brenda Hoddinott. E-mail bhoddinott@hoddinott.com Web site http://www.finearteducation.com or http://www.drawspace.com

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