Get Used To Different

Portrait artwork by Marco, Drawing Academy student

I have had many years to practice as a self-taught artist who has been drawing since about the time I was able to walk. I am now 52 and with no formal art education, I thought it was about time I started.

I have many basic drawing skills, but I wanted to apply what I have learned at Drawing Academy and finish this drawing. It is stylistic with part blending and part hatching/crossing hatching. I am transitioning away from blending and developing the skills of hatching and cross-hatching the way the old masters did it.

My drawing started out with basic outlines of shapes and shadows which I then gradually developed and filled in with details until I was satisfied I was no longer able to improve it. I remember one lesson where you said I should stop just before I feel it is finished so as not to overdo anything.