Drawing Texture Technique – Queen Ann’s Lace

I draw complicated textures in layers or steps. Each layer concentrates on one part of the texture like this:

1. General background value
2. Large shadows
3. Large highlights
4. Small shadows
5. Small highlights
6. … and so forth

I’m using a reference photo of the field across the road from our house.

What caught my eye about this scene was all the Queen Anne’s Lace (tall white wild flower or wild carrot) growing by our mailbox.

I’m going to work over the value I already laid down for the field. I created the value with a brush and loose powdered graphite, so it’ll be easy to work on top of it. Even erasing the flower shapes back to the white of the paper shouldn’t be a problem.

I’m using masks cut out of index cards so I can concentrate on one section at a time. The cut-out squares are under two inches.

I place one over the photograph and one over the same spot on the drawing, then I draw that area with full detail before moving on.

Here’s more about making and using masks for drawing.

The masks help me draw the details at the correct size and in the right position. The surrounding white of the masks is helpful for drawing values correctly, too.

Texture Step One – Block at the bottom left of image: I’ve filled its background to the local value. I did that with a B pencil and smooth hatching, then finished with a stiff brush to blend it. Next, I used a sharpened stick eraser to pull out the main highlights.

I’m using Arches Hotpress Watercolor paper. It’s tough paper that holds deep blacks and can take a lot of erasing.

I always think a drawing looks a little ugly at this stage. It’s looks smudgy and unformed. I’ve learned to love my ugly ducklings, because they might grow into swans.

Texture Step Two – Shadows: I used a 2H and B pencils to hatch in and draw all the major shadow details. I used a stiff half-round brush to blend and smooth the hatching.

(I cut my brushes into the shapes I need out of stiff bristle brushes.)

In the next steps, I’ll be alternating drawing highlights and shadows, working smaller and more precisely with each step.

Texture Step Three: Two steps in one image. First I used a stick eraser that I’d cut into a point to lift out the smaller and more subtle light details. Then I used a sharp 2H pencil to draw the smallest dark details. I used a brush and stump afterward to smooth and blend those details.

Even working this small, this texture is about shape, value, and soft and hard edges.

All I have left to do is add the brightest highlights and blend this section into the one next to it.

Texture Step Four: Finish and begin again. I finished by picking out highlights with a battery powered eraser and then fixing their shapes and values with a 2H pencil.

I moved on to the next square using the same technique. You can seen that I’ve already darkened the background and erased the main highlights.

I’m Not This Organized: I don’t draw in little organized squares all the time! I use masks for drawing really detailed areas, and this scene happens to have a lot of detail. I usually jump around the drawing and bring different parts to different stages, and everything comes together in the end.

Supplies

Because you can never have too many art supplies, here are the tools I’m using to draw this piece.

Arches Bright White Hotpress Watercolor Paper– My usual paper of choice for drawings that are going to work the paper hard. (A really detailed piece drawn with sharp pencils stresses-out a lot of papers, but not Arches.)

Kneaded Rubber Eraser

Battery Powered Eraser

2h, b, 2b, and 4b Pencils