The Process of Drawing

I recently just finished one of my most exciting drawings yet: an ink Icelandic Horse. This drawing is particularly special to me because I took the reference photo myself one night at 10pm while wandering through the rugged nature of Northern Iceland.

Icelandic horses are some of the most beautiful and incredible animals around. The have a long beautiful mane and tail that is often knotted and unruly from the winds and rain of the seasons. They have a curious and gentle personality that often sends them wandering slowly up to strangers looking for a treat or a nuzzle. Their strong and sturdy physique makes it seems as if they grew with the towering rocky mountains. They are as much the Icelandic landscape as the beaches and waterfalls of the land. They are a breed that I am in constant awe of.

Once work settled down and I had some free time, I started sorting through my photos and I found a photo that I was instantly inspired by. I started drawing that day and spent the next two weeks or so finishing up the drawing. So here, I wanted to share my drawing process. I hope you enjoy seeing my work come to life!

First, I set myself up. I tape my paper down to a large board so that I know my drawing surface is durable and smooth. I want my drawing to be mobile so that I can move it around my house and out of the way (I do not have a designated drawing space in my house, so I moved around). The outline is always the most difficult part. I have to be absolutely sure that I get all of the dimensions and relationships correct the first time, because it is extremely difficult to fix proportions in retrospect. I find this step most frustrating and even once I think that I have got it done, I usually leave it overnight and come back. Invariably, I always find a pretty obvious proportion mistake when I look at it the next day.

Next I diluted india ink with water and did a light ink wash. My reference photo was taken at dusk and therefore the shadows were extreme. The reason I loved this photo was the stark contrast between light and dark and so I wanted to highlight this contrast. I painted the ink wash over all of the shadowy places so that the light and dark areas were kept discrete.

And then, I just started drawing and kept drawing.

started with the eye because I find that it is a great place of expression and emotion. Once I have the eye drawn, I start to fall in love with the drawing and it makes me want to complete it. Basically, I draw the beautiful expressive parts first so that I am dying to finish it. It's my own way of tricking myself into finishing art projects!

From there, I just kept filling in the body. I tried to keep my pen strokes deliberate and measured, but once I was almost done it was impossible to seep my drawing slow. I was so excited to see it finished that I hurried through.

To keep my train of thought clear I always draw with a stack of post its next to me. I write notes to myself and keep a drawing plan. I'll write exactly what I want to do with the drawing time that I have available so that I do not get distracted and try to finish the whole thing at once. For example, I will write "detail the nose" or "shade the upper chest" and I will only focus on that until I finished it.

My drawing set-up is not ideal...I drew on the art board laid flat on the kitchen table. Drawing on a flat surface is not great for two reasons. One, it is uncomfortable to crouch across the table. Second, it can warp proportions. The top of the drawing will look artificially far away and can sometimes lead me to narrow the top of the drawing due to error in proportions. It is kind of like reading a book at a weird angle. I found drawing on my easel unsatisfying because I couldn't press with the force I quite liked. For my next project, I'll finagle my easel so that it works.

Scroll through below to see my process!

This drawing is for sale! It is 18 x 24 inches and took about 15 hours to complete and therefore the price is $400. Since I am student, I cannot afford to purchase the online sale platform from wix, so I must personally handle sales. Please email me at lkd43@cornell.edu. We can organize payment through venmo or mailed check. I will mail the drawing out within 7 business days but likely sooner. I just keep the 7 business day policy so that I have time to mail it out even if I am traveling for the weekend or away from my house for a few days.

If you do not want the original, I will be selling and mailing prints of the drawing. Price and size to be determined by early August. Likely $15 per print plus shipping. Email at lkd43@cornell.edu for a request!