Inktober, Day 3: Poison

The prompt was "Poison."  I know mushrooms can be toxic and they're not 'poison', but I didn't feel like drawing a snake, which was my other initial idea that's also appropriate for the cards I'm giving as gifts.  I'm leaning towards natural over cartoonish, plus I wasn't sure the message it might send to mail someone a card with a bottle of poison or some other nasty poisonous thing.

 

Materials

• Pigma Graphic 1 and 2 markers
• Pigma Micron 005 and 02 pens
• H hardness drawing pencil
• White erasers of various shapes and sizes
• Cold-pressed watercolor paper cut to 3.5x5" 

 

 

Step 1:  Sketch with a pencil

Sketch the general shape, then outline the white spots, making note that some will appear to "cross" the boundary of the cap when viewed from a single perspective, and that the spots often grow in subtle rings.

 

Step 2:  Draw with pens

Using the 005, outline the spots first so you don't accidentally draw the mushroom "edge" through the spots.  I then used the 02 to outline the caps and stems of the mushrooms, and the 005 to draw the gills.  Next time, I should look at pictures of gills rather than guessing.

I used the 1 and 2 to fill in the one cap, realizing as I did this, that they are actually markers.  I don't like the way they 'flattened' the image, so I didn't fill in the other caps.  I also used them for the grasses and leaves, and while I don't like the minimal control I have with them on individual strokes, I do like the overall effect.  I also used the 02 for some of the stripes on the grasses.  I may go back and shade the stems; I may not.  The markers also smear more than I'm used to with my usual waterproof pens.

 

Step 3:  Carefully erase the pencil marks

Results

I would not repeat this.  There's too much detail and it takes too long.  I would need better "fill" pens if I were to draw it again.  I probably should revisit shading and texturing skills -- maybe if I can find exercises that overlap with some of the prompts.  I do like it well enough to give as a gift.