The Composition
A relative gave me these worn ballet shoes, she was an active member of the Prague Ballet Company and had definitely put the ballet shoes through their paces during this time.
My late art tutor and very dear friend of mine Peter often discussed drawing and painting anything associated with ballet. This was the idea for the piece of artwork that I am sharing with you.
The ballet shoes were arranged on a flat surface with a direct light source. I wanted the ballet straps arranged so that it made for an interesting proposition, with the ballet shoes propped up to give a bit of height to the arrangement.
Drawing Completed
I started my drawing using a HP pencil on good cartridge paper. I drew from life, I enjoyed the challenge and the composition.
Building Tones Of Liquid Charcoal
When I was happy with the drawing I began using liquid charcoal mixed with water, applying tonal washes with a paintbrush. Applying darker washes to illustrate the shadows, leaving the paper white for the highlights where needed.
How I Worked On This Piece
Liquid charcoal is a nice gentle medium to use, however once it is down on paper you cannot remove the marks, so you have to think ahead with every application. Here you can see how I worked on this composition.
Ballet Shoes Tonal Study Completed
Summarising the experience: I was pleased with the results, the drawing in my opinion has depth and shows some interesting negative shapes within the composition. This simple drawing makes me smile and think about my dear late friend Peter. I hope you like the drawing.