Black and White Observational Animal

This is an observational drawing of a bear figurine that I did in charcoal. The assignment for this project was to do an observational drawing of a figurine in black and white, with the option of adding additional selective color.

The process for this piece was fairly straightforward—I first sketched outlines for the bear's contours in graphite and then shaded in charcoal. I used regular charcoal pencils for the bear so that it would be black and white and I used charcoal colored pencils for the background to add color. Texture is probably the most important element of this piece because fur has a very specific texture. I used value and shading to create the soft texture of the fur and, in contrast, the glossy textures of eye and nose. I chose green and yellow for the background, both because they are forest colors (where a bear might reside) and to create contrast from the dark coloration of the fur. By using different values of green and yellow, and making the lightest space at the bear's mouth, I made this the focal point of the piece. This piece evolved in that I was originally going to do a black and white background but decided the selective color in the background would create better contrast and make the piece stronger.

I chose to draw this bear figurine because it seemed the most dynamic and I was drawn to the movement that could be expressed through an observational drawing of it. I think I expressed this movement well and gave the piece energy. This project relates to my life in that I like to make expressive art, even in doing observational drawings. This piece was a good opportunity to create energy and emotion even through observation. I think that this piece could be stronger if the background was better blended to create more contrast in color. The way I made it conforms to the texture of the fur which is somewhat unifying to the piece but I think contrast would have made it stronger. The most challenging part of creating this piece was making the right textures and highlights in the bear's fur, which were very specific, but which came out well. I am most proud of the eye and mouth of the bear because I think these are both defining features, they were important to the composition, and I think I recreated them well. This piece illustrates my strength as an artist in drawing from observation and weakness in color blending.