Oh deer...

I think if I tried sitting in one of these I'd never back up.   This was for the challenge of: draw a chair.   I had a few ideas, including a tennis umpire's chair, felt that might be appropriate considering that TV is awash with tennis.

So one challenge complete,  a swap to print out and another challenge to attempt.  The next one is to draw a moggy, or cat of any type...  wonder how long Harvey can stay still?  

So inbetween challenges I found a picture of this deer and felt the urge to capture him in pencil. 

This is pic one, showing the first stage. So from drawing the outline I began shading in the ears, nose, eyes and then giving some definition to his jaw.   I used the following grades of pencils: H, H2, 3,  3B, 4B and 6B.   And a lot of erasing, to take out the outline.   

To get the soft look I use very, very light but short strokes, this hopefully gives the impression of fur.  You do need to remember which way the fur grows!    Shading is used to give shape,  as with the ears, so a few wavy lines were used, well quite a few! 

This was the second stage,  yes I know it doesn't look that different, but trust me it is.  I moved up to the B pencils.  Now it was time to remember where the light was catchng the deer, especially on his nose.  There is very little fat on an animal's face, so bone structure tends to stand out, like round the eyes,  and along the nose.  This requires a very light touch with a dark pencil,  and some use of the stubby (blending tool). 

A day later...  and here he is,  standing proud.  I put in a couple of mountains behind him.  For the mountains I used the 4 and 6B, but laid them almost flat on the paper and held them loosely - well mountains aren't smooth! 

I am extremely chuffed with this, came out far better than I imagined.  Still need to do some work on the sky,  and give the deer some more definition to make him stand out from the background.

I also framed the Tyger picture.  In an ideal world I'd have the poem going round the mount.    He's now hanging on my wall.

Not been a good day, the weather really matched my mood.  I had my assessment.  Was kept waiting for 15 minutes, when I saw two people who had arrived after me being called I went back to the reception to ask if I'd been forgotten, at which point my assessor appeared.  She tried to get me to hurry up, impossible at the moment,  I'm down to a slow shuffle, so I stuck to my own pace.  She stupidly asked me if I'd like to use the lift!   Yeah like I was going to hike up two flights of bloody stairs.  In the room she explained the delay,  it is because they only get given the case notes at the time of the appointment!  How bloody dumb is that?   Hence they have to read through the case notes,  while you sit down stairs twiddling your thumbs. 

Whilst in the waiting room, which was full,  there was one woman who was far too cheerful and energetic.  She made a point of using an inhaler, which didn't work,  then it turned out it had been at the bottom of her handbag for ages...  I wonder if she realised that the assessment begins the moment you set foot in the building?   She had no problems switching seats, or moving around...   made me wonder why she was there?   

I'm seeing a consultant on the 23rd July,  so maybe I'll start to get some answers, and treatment for my back condition.  It is now well beyond a joke.   I'm so tired of the pain.   

Hoping that the sunshine comes back tomorrow!   Today's weather was truly grotty, but at least the garden got a good watering.