1900 Barn - Living History Farms

I've been working this morning on finishing this piece. As always it will sit for a week and see if anything else demands more or changes needed.

The weeds in the front were a real dilema. I didn't want a 'front wall' of weeds and the fence was also a dominant horizontal block in this composition. I spent this week contemplating just how I was going to tackle the weeds but also trying to figure out how I should handle these two dominant elements. I decided to pull the fence line slightly down with a slight bow to it. This broke up the horizontal block and I also added a bit more 'character' to the poles than what is in the reference photo. Last night, I figured out a solution to the wall of weeds. I made a slight valley where the fence bowed. This did two things...it broke up that imposing wall but it also gave the viewer a 'way into' the scene.

I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me! What had appeared to become a very plain barn drawing became a very pleasing 'painting' albeit in b&w.
I'm slowly progressing through this landscape.... I've got the lower left corner yet to do. I've been working on the fence post. It is a bit strange that the fence only has one set of boards on it. Don't know if they have a wire in the middle to prevent the horses from getting out.

I've at least got the rest of the weeds blocked in now and need to detail in the weeds in the lower left half. 3/4/06 Well it is the weekend and I'm back at it again! Weeds are always a challenge and these have proved to be no exception!! I wish they would just get easier to draw. But I think I've got the shadowed area under the tree and the weeds surround the tree finally wrestled down on the paper. Here is a close-up of the weeds.....I've been using a 2H clutch pencil over B .5 mech pencil in this section. Using lots of blu-tak and electric eraser building and removing layers of grass.


Here is another small update. I finished the barn on the sunny side and have started laying in the grass around the barn.

Thought I would scan all the sections and merge so you can see the whole drawing instead of just the sections.

Here is one more update for the evening. I continued to work the 2B in the shadows and 3H in the lighter areas creating impressions of leaves. I have now completed the tree and will start working on the weeds and shadows surrounding the tree.....

I have been requested to provide even more descriptive detail....I will try and comply. Sometimes it is difficult to stop and scan when I'm drawing!

Here is a minor update, but I wanted to show the next step as I'm moving along. I am using a 2B and 3H .5 mechanical pencil and working in some detail. I am using the 2B in the shadows to deepen areas and I am using the 3H in the highlight areas to develop those lighter shades of gray. I am using Blu-tack and pulling in some of those medium shades of gray.

Things to observe as you are drawing trees. If you look at the small openings in the tree where the sky is seen, the tree branches are very detailed and very dark in shadow. These areas are important to capture as they are critical 'clues' that tell the viewer that this is a tree. I do not ever draw a single leaf....rather I give impressions of leaves by the shapes and highlights that I use.

Another thing to observe is the greatest contrasts are seen where the highlighted leaves are right next to the darkest shadows. These are important points to give the tree contrast and depth.

Always know where your light source is coming from. Consistent application of the shadows will make the tree more 'believable'. Hope these are helpful tidbits.....
Continuing to work on the tree.... Getting closer to have the darkest areas mapped out. I'm working hard to keep a consistent texture as I work in the dark areas. My impatience wants me to just block in the shadows but that doesn't work to develop those richer shaded areas.

I have been doing most of this work with an HB clutch pencil. However, I'm finding I am wearing down my chisel end quickly and having to resharpen frequently. It has worked well to build up the textured areas but I think I'm going to switch back to my .5 mechanical pencil to start working in the details. I'll be lightening some the darker areas up with blu-tack as I get into the nitty gritty of the leaves. (I hope....that's my game plan anyway!!!)
This is a small update, I am slowly building up the tree branches, working dark to light. I concentrate on the shadowed areas (negative space) as I am drawing.

I started working on the tree in the foreground. I thought I would post an preliminary layering of the tree branches so you might see how this foliage transforms itself.

I start with laying down a textured pencil stroke and block in the shaded areas. It's pretty rough right now, but thought you all might like to see the very ugly stage! I will continue to build up and erase areas to create impressions of leaves. I wish I had a firm process down to do this...but I always seem to stumble my way through it... this is the upper right corner of the foreground tree.


Finishing up on the trees in the background. I like these clutch pencils. I feel like I'm painting in B&W! I actually was standing up at my draft table while drawing the tree on the left....

Here's the 2nd installment and have been working on the shingles and side of the barn.
I 've been using clutch pencils trying to get use to them. I am liking them more and more as I draw. Ken Brown on DrawingLinetoLife group mentioned that the "pencil lead lays down smooth and creamy". This is a perfect description of the lead. I really didn't think the lead quality would make that much difference. I was definitely wrong!

The siding of the barn is laid down with one pencil stroke. I've made a chisel end to it lead and with one stroke I have a perfect shade. I am using HB for the siding.

The highlights on the shingles are done by touching my electric eraser to the paper. I recently picked up a tip from Lucy Conway to sharpen the tip of my eraser using sandpaper. This works perfectly!!!

The tips and suggestions provided by other artists makes drawing so much more enjoyable. I appreciate all the assistance from both yahoogroups...DrawingLinetoLife and DrawingTogether2!



I have laid in the sky and have started working on the shingles and sides of the barn.


Continuing with the Living History Farm Series, I have started a drawing of the 1900 Barn. This is a 'classic' DWright composition. I had to do some adjusting of the image by merging a couple of photos together. But you'll get a good idea of what it will look like from this reference photo.

Winter Reflections - Continued

This tree has been staring at me for over a week. I just couldn't figure out how the branches interweaved and I wasn't quite sure how to continue. Well today, I must have been in the right mindset because in about 3 hours here is the result.... I have actually signed this piece but I will let it sit for a while and see if anything else needs to be adjusted. The contrast between this bold and expressive tree and the subtle barn is striking.

I'm finally working on the tree! Now I am just trying to figure out those branches going every which way!

Here is an update...slowly working through the face of the barn and the tree shadows.


Well, I finally got into the "feeling" of the shadows. It took me a bit of experimenting to figure out just how to work with the shadows. I am lightly layering using 2H, blending with a tortillion and then layering with a 7H to get a smooth finish. I am making sure that the horizontal boards of the barn are passing through the shadows.

My Studio!

I am so excited! With the purchase of a new printer and a used drafting table (and with permission from my husband), I have changed one of the rooms in our house into a studio! I am so proud of it, I just wanted to share with everyone! You can see one of our cats , Copper, making himself comfortable on my chair!

Winter Reflections

This indeed has become a challenging drawing! I have decided that I need to take the sky at least three shades darker. This will allow me to have a wider tonal range available to work with on the white face of the barn. My reference photo is also lacking details of the barn boards that I would love to see. It would be tempting to drive the 2 hours to just take some more photos, but that won't happen anytime soon. So I will have to use some creative artist license to create the details. This barn is a bit unusual for this area because the boards run horizontal not vertical, also the boards are very thin.


I have cropped the image so the composition will be a balanced and centered barn on the page. This drawing will have several challenges in that the tonal ranges will need to be even and balanced to create the illusion of a white barn. Also the tree reflection cannot be the primary subject matter but taking it's place as a secondary shadow across the face of the barn. The shadow cannot take on a texture or dimensionality of it's own.


I have been eyeing this barn for a number of years. But during a recent trip to NE Iowa I captured this photo with a beautiful new layer of snow and wonderful tree reflections dancing across the face of this barn. It is located just east of Gladbrook, Iowa.

Mitchellville Barn - Series # 2

Here is another update. I have a feeling that I am done with this drawing. I lightly placed the grass and weeds in and at this moment they seem like it is all that it needs. I'm afraid if I make the weeds anymore pronounced it will take away from the scene.I really enjoy vacation time and being able to spend 'blocks of time' just devoted to drawing. When I am able to concentrate on a drawing, it really provides a continuity to the overall drawing.

I am continuing to work on the barn....developing each board as I go as well as the shingles on the roof...... This barn is about ready to collapse upon itself, creating some beautiful and unique angles and openings to work with. The play of the light as it hits the angled sides also adds interest....




Well, vacation time is flying by and don't want to waste a minute! This is of the Mitchellville Barn - Series #2. This barn is just 5 miles north of town and I have been taking photos of this place for the past 5 years. It became abandoned after the flood of '93 and is now considered a wetland reserve area. The first drawing I did was from a photo taken 4 years ago. This photo I took this summer. Time is quickly taking it's toll on the barn as well as a few people scavenging the boards off. I was having a particularly challenging day at work and was driving home in a bad mood. I looked at the clouds and thought - oh great - sure now I need to go home and get my camera and take pictures of these incredible clouds! But maybe it will put me in a better mood. I hurried home, got my camera, and went to my favorite hangout - this barn. (Which is the last old barn close by my home!) I got the best photos I have ever taken of this barn and perhaps the best photos I have ever taken. Just as soon as I finished my photo shoot and jumped back in the car, the skies let loose and it poured cats & dogs! Needless to say, work was forgotten and I was feeling great! That day, everything happened for a reason and timing was everything. I've been itching to draw this one ever since.

Garden Shed Continued

I am now calling this one completed! I darkened the left side of the building just a bit, darkened the chimney and added just a touch more detail in the flowers in the lower right. Can you notice these subtle changes? My newest friend in this drawing is a technique called burnishing that I learned from Mike's new book - Drawing from Line to Life by Mike Sibley. I used 6H over HB to create wonderful even tones and was able to enhance details so much better.


Almost finished.... I have darkened and lightened and pushed and pulled the darks, textures and highlights of this drawing to the extremes.

After a busy holiday season, I have finally been able to get back to this drawing! I have worked on darkening the trees in the background, created the flowers in the front of the shed and have darkened the building up to show the sun highlights more distinctly. It's getting closer to being completed!

At a recent visit to Living History Farms, I found out that this was not used as a garden shed, but it was used as a summer kitchen! During the late 1800's, to keep the main house cool during the hot summer months, this small building was used to cook the meals in.

Happy Holidays!

Just wanted to share with everyone Holiday Greetings!