Pencil and charcoal animals:

I decided to try out a new medium in the for of charcoal, to begin with I followed a YouTube tutorial for drawing a Robin and I initially used pencil while following the tutorial step by step. I then created a charcoal drawing of a Robin within my sketchbook, but this time I used what I had learned and and didn't follow the tutorial. I used a combination of orange and brown charcoal and tries to use techniques such as blending the colour with my fingers to create smooth sections and and then leaving the charcoal as it was to make harsher, darker sections. 

when looking at my first sketch I think that the overall lines are quite smooth, curved and rounded. The rounded shape creates this cute and welcoming image, and I think that even thought the there are jagged and lines In this sketch to create the image of plumage they still seem soft and friendly. When I think of Robins I don't think of scary and dangerous animals, I imagine small and skitters creature ready to fly away at the slightest noise. I think that a big part of the sketch that emphasises this are the large glassy eyes of the bird, they're wide and innocent and I believe that they communicate this fragility that causes a feeling of protectiveness for the viewer. This sketch is monochrome, I have used shading techniques to form the impression of feathers and plumage as well as emphasise a sense of depth and show the underneath of the robins tail. I also believe that although this sketch has been done on an A4 sheet the drawing still has an air of fragility to it, that this is a small bird despite the size of the sketch. during the process I found using these techniques and trying to convey these qualities quite tricky for me as I am still learning but I have found the result to be successful. 

Moving on to my more independent charcoal sketch, I used what I had learned from the tutorial and this time followed the same steps from memory. Using charcoal was obviously messier than using pencil and in some ways I fount this more freeing. Smaller mistakes and details were able to be blended away with ease and I found this blending technique very useful when it came to creating gradients of colour and tone within the work. I have tried to replicate the colours of a robin as best I can in this image and I think that I have been quite successful with this. The brighter, orange chest stands out against the darker brown feathers, and I believe that this not only draws the eye but also invokes a prouder atmosphere within the work. As if the Robin is standing tall, proud of its own bright colours and inviting the world to look at it. Around the outer edges of the sketch I used harsher and more jagged lines to recreate the feathers of a Robin, and when looking at the result I think that they allow the sketch to feel more animalistic and wild compared to the peril drawing. It's not pristine and neat, it's something you would find when you're out on a walk in the woods. 

In terms of strengths I think that my use of blending and use of colours have been really successful within this sketch. The colours are realistic, the earthy browns are grounding and the orange creates a warmer atmosphere. I believe that the use of blending has created a nice contrast of softer, blurred areas and sharper areas which I think improves the overall composition of the work. 

When it comes to things that I could improve on I do think that I need to work on my overall technique as I am still a beginner, this will come with time and practice and I am determined to carry on learning and improving my skills. 

Although I enjoyed using charcoal, and will definitely carry on using them, I don't think that I will be including this medius any further within this project. I would like to experiment more with acrylics and even look at including sturdier materials such as cardboard within my future work for this project.