The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper. Species that change colour and behaviour at high population densities are called locusts.
Tools:
-5H-8B, Graphite Powder 6B
-Kneaded Eraser, Mechanical Pen Eraser, Electric Eraser
-Blending Stump, Makeup removal discs
-Brushes
-A4 (21x29,7cm) (8,25"x11,7")
Turn for graphite powder, I mostly use it for large areas and backgrounds, in this case I wanted a soft gradient, slightly more clear near the grasshopper's face.
First of all make sure the surface is clean, there aren't unwanted finger prints, otherwise you can smudge the piece easily, sometimes they can magically appear once you pass the brush and we don't want that.
I highly recommend to use a test paper till you acquire a good feeling with the strokes, If you tried dry-brush oil before it's a similar principle:
- Clean the surface.
- Pick your brush and take a bit of graphite powder.
- Delete with the help of a test paper or tissue the roughest powder excess till the point there is almost no powder left on the brush.
- Apply with soft strokes on the surface, since all the powder has the same value level, there will be a point of saturation where it can't be darker, and it will remain homogeneous.
Take a look at the video so you can make a better idea:
Don't be shy try testing the different materials (pencils, graphite, charcoals, papers...) it's amazing the surprising and diverse results you can achieve modifying and combining them.
Usually, nothing worthwhile is easy... Keep Drawing!
