Wheelbarrow and oak

I was in the mood to draw today, but feeling as rusty at it as my old wheelbarrow. It’s been a busy few weeks and I haven’t had much time to get out the sketchbook, except for my visit to the market the other day. When I haven’t drawn in a while and need a bit of a challenge, it’s often the rusty wheelbarrow itself that I choose as my model. Today I chose a side view of it, which is something I can only do in summer when it’s nice enough to be outdoors and sit in the shade of the oak tree that it rests on.

When I draw it straight on from my kitchen window, it’s a fairly simple shape. But from the side, it’s not simple at all. I did a fair bit of erasing to get the angle of the handles, the volume of the tray, the ellipses of the wheel and all the negative shapes of the legs. And it’s a good thing I got out there during the good weather this morning because now it’s dark and rainy outside my office window.


22 Comments on “Wheelbarrow and oak”

  1. Sheila Birenbaum says:

    Rusty or not, it’s a wonderful drawing! Congratulations.

  2. -N- says:

    Funny how we need to warm up, even when we are so familiar with something! Good exercise – good to know you need to erase and practice, too. 😉

    • I struggled with this one, even though it’s so familiar. The angles are so difficult and if you don’t get them semi right, it really looks like a strange object. But it was really great practice, which I needed.

      • -N- says:

        It turned out really well – drawing does lay a good foundation for many thing . . . .

  3. lois says:

    It’s beautiful! I would not have known you erased or struggled if you had not said. But what do you mean by the ‘negative shapes of the legs’ Shari?

    • Thanks Lois. The legs are those triangular pieces that support the wheelbarrow when it’s on the ground. The angles of those are difficult, so I look at the spaces between them to help me get the angles right.

  4. David Damm says:

    Thank you for sharing one of your favorite subjects, you don’t look rusty at all!

  5. Donna Skelcy says:

    So good to that even experts have the need to use an eraser when drawing.

    • Donna, I erase stuff all the time. Drawing is always a struggle. It gets easier when I am out drawing and painting for many days at a time. But if it’s been awhile, it feels like I go back to zero…

  6. Bernadette says:

    Sooo nicely drawn and worth your time and effort. Excellent!

  7. Karen Geraci says:

    Fabulous!!!!!! You inspire me always🎨🎨💃

  8. Dory Rice says:

    Shari, I’d be delighted to be that rusty! And the good sketchbook paper for drawing is…? Thanks!

  9. Jason Mullins says:

    Composition, values, linework..very well done Shari. Muji mechanical pencil strikes again! Thanks for sharing!

  10. Lori Zajic says:

    Great sketch!!!!!

  11. Linda Hackett says:

    <

    div dir=”ltr”>Beautiful! I love the texture achieved from the paper’s tooth. Did you sketch it

  12. Jeanne Brail says:

    Yikes, that would be a real challenge, but you captured it beautifully!

  13. AshleyWolff says:

    I get it-I can’t take any time off from drawing without feeling rusty! My eye and hand just need to work together constantly.

    • It’s good to know that you suffer from this too. I know you are always drawing as well. But it’s amazing how quickly that ease disappears once you take a break.

  14. ccaatt01 says:

    I agree, the good news about summer is all the great travels and get-togethers, and the bad news is not enough time with art and drawing practice. Your sketch and using an eraser is a great encouragement to make use of any in-between time to keep it up as much as possible – thanks!


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