Actinopteria bella scientific illustration

[Mainefossils]

I have always enjoyed drawing, but it is only in the last 2 years or so that I started working on scientific illustration. I have done many living creatures, but this is my first fully rendered fossil. I was hoping that you guys could give me some suggestions for improvements. I did some reconstruction by comparing my main subject with other specimens. It is an Actinopteria bella, rendered using graphite pencils and tortillons, on smooth 2 ply Bristol paper. Thoughts?

 

 

@Kane, @Ludwigia, @Top Trilo

 

 

[Kane]

Looks good. 

I'm sure the illustration in person looks even better, given the frustration of photographing graphite drawings that sadly is reflective to light and washes out the lighter tones that you painstakingly laid down. 

[Mainefossils]

Just now, Kane said:

Looks good. 

I'm sure the illustration in person looks even better, given the frustration of photographing graphite drawings that sadly is reflective to light and washes out the lighter tones that you painstakingly laid down. 

Thank you! Yes, it is extremely hard to get good photos. 

[Ludwigia]

I'm actually just a beginner at this pastime, so don't take me too seriously. It looks good to me, but maybe you could bring out the difference between light and shade a bit better.

[Mainefossils]

14 minutes ago, Ludwigia said:

I'm actually just a beginner at this pastime, so don't take me too seriously. It looks good to me, but maybe you could bring out the difference between light and shade a bit better.

Thank you for the suggestion! 

[Fossildude19]

Nicely done.   

Try taking a picture of it in daylight, to see if it helps with contrast at all. 
Not direct sunlight, but daylight.   

[Mainefossils]

@Fossildude19

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I have just finished taking more photos of the drawing. 

 

[Pagurus]

The drawing looks very good to me, and I'm especially impressed by the depth of field impression at the upper left of the drawing. Perhaps a scanner would work better than a camera? 

[DPS Ammonite]

6 hours ago, Mainefossils said:

I have always enjoyed drawing, but it is only in the last 2 years or so that I started working on scientific illustration. I have done many living creatures, but this is my first fully rendered fossil. I was hoping that you guys could give me some suggestions for improvements. I did some reconstruction by comparing my main subject with other specimens. It is an Actinopteria bella, rendered using graphite pencils and tortillons, on smooth 2 ply Bristol paper. Thoughts?

 

Your skills impress me.

 

Use the photo editing software in your device. Play around with the exposure, highlights, shadows and contrast settings.   I have a sharpen feature, but did not use it. The greatest thing about modern digital cameras is the ability to digitally process photos to compensate for bad lightening and camera settings. If you have the better versions of software and the skills (not me) you could make the background lighter. Here is what I could do on an old iPhone:

 

EDIT: here is another image using the sharpness feature and adjusting the exposure to create a lighter background. Once I edit a photo I like to compare it to the original. Cameras don’t always see things the way our eyes do.

Edited May 22, 2021 by DPS Ammonite

[Mainefossils]

Thanks @Pagurus and @DPS Ammonite!

 

@Pagurus

 

Thanks! I think that it would be better to use a scanner, but unfortunately, I don't have access to one. 

 

@DPS Ammonite, 

 

I did what you suggested, and below is a new picture that is closer to the original drawing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DPS Ammonite]

1 minute ago, Mainefossils said:

Thanks @Pagurus and @DPS Ammonite!

 

@Pagurus

 

Thanks! I think that it would be better to use a scanner, but unfortunately, I don't have access to one. 

 

@DPS Ammonite, 

 

I did what you suggested, and below is a new picture that is closer to the original drawing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To recycle a really old saying: now you are cooking with gas. It looks much better.

 

[Top Trilo]

8 minutes ago, Mainefossils said:

Thanks! I think that it would be better to use a scanner, but unfortunately, I don't have access to one. 

 

At least with apple in the notes app you can scan things.

[Kane]

This site provides some tips: https://cameraharmony.com/how-to-photograph-graphite-drawings/

[Mainefossils]

Thanks @DPS Ammonite, @Top Trilo, and @Kane!

 

@Kane

That website was very useful, and I look forward to using it on my next project.