Duet Drawing in Progress

©2012 R.L. Delight,Duet drawing in progress

I know this is challenging to see. I didn't use a flash but the lighting is strange. Graphite is always a challenge to photograph and this drawing is large, 22"x40". I also had to piece the drawing paper together to fit the composition. I will be ordering paper in rolls so I won't have to do that in the future. It is very much a work in progress. I really just have the main proportions and angles and am starting in on the shading and tweaking the lines. Both instruments are a challenge to draw. That said, I am so very glad I decided to draw this out first. Here is a close up of the cornet just roughed in:

©2012, R.L. Delight, Duet drawing in progress, close up.

The cornet is very shiny and difficult to flatten out and see. There is a lot of foreshortening and tapering of the tubing combined with different angles and planes, well, it is definitely pushing me along. This is really a lot of fun, I really do enjoy drawing as much as I do painting and it is very easy to get lost for hours in the process. Actually, I would get lost in time longer but Twill the studio dog comes and gets me to take her on a walk at the proper time so I do have breaks. I have to be careful when walking by the drawing and stopping to look at it. If I pick up my pencil to add or change something really quick, the next thing I know, an hour has gone by without me realizing it!
The cornet, while challenging, is actually easier to draw then the cello. The cello has many subtle curves and plane changes. It isn't flat or box-like as a guitar is. As I mentioned before, drawing the cello is like drawing the human body. Of course, the cello holds still better than a live model.
If the drawing continues to go as it has been, I should be through with it this week and be able to transfer it to the canvas and begin the grisaille.
I don't have a title for this piece yet. I am calling it Duet for the time being. It has been a busy day. I went to life drawing this morning, spent a little time working on the drawing then it was time to get ready to go to the local music jam session. The instruments were taken from the still life set up and played. They will be back posing for me tomorrow.
I'm not sure how much progress I will have to show for Wednesday. I will be working on it steadily but we shall see how much different it looks by then.
Off for a well earned night's rest.
-Renee