Sometimes, bigger really is better. Even when you regret it halfway through!
As part of my studies in the Mastery Program at Milan Art Institute, I was given an assignment to work on drawing and shading. I decided to draw a magnolia using graphite pencils of varying grades on 18" x 24" smooth Bristol paper.
Now, you might wonder why I chose to draw something quite so large.
Well, many years ago, I was fortunate enough to take one drawing course in college. One of the things our instructor repeatedly emphasized was to draw BIG and fill the paper! Apparently, that lesson stuck with me all these years because, when I sat down to draw my magnolia, that is exactly what I did.
And everything was going along beautifully!
I loved drawing the delicate curves of the petals, the folds, and all the wonderful little details that make a magnolia such an interesting subject.
Then came the shading.
Oh, my goodness. What was I thinking?!
Suddenly, that enormous sheet of Bristol paper didn't seem like such a brilliant idea! There were petals upon petals to shade, subtle changes in light and shadow to capture, and all those little details that give the flower its depth and dimension.
I spent hours shading. HOURS!
And I have a confession to make.
There came a point when I seriously considered putting those pencils down, calling it good enough, and moving on to the painting lesson. After all, painting was what I was really looking forward to! Did I honestly need to finish shading every single petal?
Well, apparently, yes.
You see, there is this part of me that simply demands I see something through to the end. I had started this drawing, and I knew that if I skipped ahead without finishing it, I would only be cheating myself.
After all, I enrolled in the Mastery Program because I want to grow as an artist. I want to learn, improve my skills, and challenge myself to do things I haven't done before. I don't want to simply complete assignments. I want to understand what I'm learning and develop the skills that will help me become the artist I dream of being.
And sometimes, that means doing the tedious work, even when something far more exciting is waiting just around the corner.
So, I picked up my pencils and kept shading.
And shading.
And shading some more! 😂
I worked through the different values of graphite, gradually building up the shadows, softening transitions, and trying to capture the delicate folds and dimensionality of those beautiful petals.
And you know what?
I'm so glad I didn't give up on her.
I'm also glad I didn't draw her smaller!
Now that she is finished, I can appreciate what that larger scale allowed me to accomplish. The details really stand out. The subtle transitions between light and shadow give the petals their form, while the darker leaves provide a beautiful contrast to the softness of the flower.
The entire magnolia has a presence that I don't think would have been quite the same on a smaller sheet of paper.
As I stood back and looked at the finished drawing, I realized that the hours I had spent shading weren't wasted. They were hours spent learning to see more carefully, developing my technique, and understanding how light and shadow can transform a flat drawing into something with depth and life.
And perhaps the most valuable lesson wasn't about graphite or shading at all.
It was about honoring the commitment I made to myself to become the artist I dream of being.
One of the things I am discovering as I work through the Mastery Program is that artistic growth isn't always about the exciting moments when everything seems to fall into place. Sometimes, it is about patience, persistence, and pushing through those moments when you question your decisions.
It's about trusting the process, even when that process involves what feels like an endless amount of shading!
And perhaps, just perhaps, that college drawing instructor knew what they were talking about all those years ago.
Would I draw another magnolia this large?
Absolutely!
Although I might think twice when it's time to pick up those shading pencils! 😂
From my easel,
Wendy 🎨
The Magnolia: Original graphite drawing on 18" x 24" smooth Bristol paper. Created as part of my studies in the Milan Art Institute Mastery Program.
I'd love to hear from you!
Have you ever started a creative project and, halfway through, wondered what on earth you had gotten yourself into? Did you push through and finish, or is it still sitting somewhere waiting for you?
Please tell me I'm not the only one!