Being out-of-town for a couple of weeks put a halt to the Process, now that I am home I am excited and eager to continue.  As promised I am posting a few photos of the next stages.

I usually start from the left hand side of the my paper.  This helps reduce smudging the drawing as I work.

Moving to the right and down, I continue to add detail and define shapes.  As I work my hand is resting on paper to keep oils from getting on the drawing surface.  I never smudge with my fingers.  Oils from hands and graphite don’t mix well.  When oil is deposited on the paper the area becomes darker and hard to control.  Give it a try, in your sketchbook not on your drawing. 🙂

Before I draw the mane of the horse, I try to lightly shape the body of the horse.  It is just easier this way.  Creating shape for the mane to flow over creates a more natural look.

Continuing on, I will go back and forth to add deeper shadow areas, knockdown highlights, or add new highlights.  Standing back from the drawing or looking at it from a different angle helps me to see which areas look flat and need more depth, and where proportions are not right.  Looking at the drawing in a mirror is also helpful.   I usually leave the background area for last, but I am trying to incorporate it as I draw to help decrease smudging in the drawing.  As you can see, I have not progress too much on the background, actually, not at all. 🙂

I really enjoy this stage of a drawing.  It is really hard to put it down, I just want to finish!  Keep posted, the finished drawing should be up soon.