Trying to tell someone how to draw is like trying to tell someone how to breathe.

You see, I've drawn since I can remember. I don't know how not to draw.

I was away from my art for quite a while as there were far more important things that required my undivided attention.....my sons!

As my two sons grew they'd ask me to draw something. I'd draw & they'd ask how I did it. I'd say I just take away everything that is not what I want you to see. This must have made sense to them as they both were and still are very good artists.

I've been told there is positive and negative space use and that I have very good use of negative space. I know that I like bringing light from the dark. I enjoy using black canvases or painting canvases black as I did in "Sean-Dark Night".

I also like using colored paper for pastels and colored pencils. I have really just begun to experiment with pastels in 2013, but have attempted to use colored pencils in the past. I never really did work in colored pencils like I am beginning to do now.

My brother, Lee, has always been an avid deer hunter and often told me how beautiful it was to sit in his deer stand watching the deer in the mist of the breaking dawn. I have often thought of painting or drawing a deer as a gift for him.

This past November a photographer, Brian Schultz, posted many photos he'd taken of deer. One really struck me, so I asked if I could use his photo to draw or paint. He said he'd be honored if I did. Now, I've never attempted to draw or paint a deer as I enjoy drawing people, so this was going to be a challenge.

First rough in of drawing.

Several breaks later...

Nearing the finish, but not there yet....

When using colored pencils or pastels, I choose a color paper that represents the most prevalent color I want to remain as part of my drawing. In this piece I used Bristol colored pencils on Canson Colored Pastel Paper. I chose a brownish/gray paper as my base. I began with the lightest color pencil, white, and drew the main outline. I then added more light and dark where needed leaving the paper color as my main color. I sometimes will stop very early on, once the essence is achieved. I'm not attempting to paint or draw a photo like image, but more a feeling I want to convey. I will never attempt to try to tell someone how to draw as there are so many different ways to accomplish a thing. But I will show my steps in achieving the end product, "In The Morning Mist", which brought tears to my brother's eyes. He understood I knew something about his soul.

Finished, signed and then matted.