Realistic Pencil Drawings and Story Telling
My love of realistic pencil drawings and Western Art began with a shy, young girl sketching the horses she cherished and a way of life she treasured! I absolutely loved ranch life. Especially galloping across lush, green pastures (trusty cattle dog in tow) and exploring the surrounding enchanted woodlands on those long, warm, summer days of my youth.
During our adventures, we’d often end up down at the river where we’d swim our horses in the refreshing, pure water of the Clearwater… an absolute “no-no” but we did it anyway! Or… over at the big, timbered canyon neighboring our ranch to try to catch a glimpse, if we were lucky, of a small herd of wild horses that called “Church Canyon” home. Both “Midnight Thunder” and “Freedom Run” evoke memories of the free spirit of that wild band of horses. And the background in “Freedom Run” is also symbolic of the river and canyon that captured my heart long ago.
During the frigid winter months of my youth, I’d spend my “significantly increased trapped indoor hours” freehand sketching horses and scenery from fresh, exciting memories of our earlier summer excursions…
Though a contemporary drawing, “Young Rough Riders” embodies and is explicit to a tranquil chapter in our lives long past. This drawing of my brother and his friend riding “Silver” and “Paco” (playing Lone Ranger I’m certain) on a crisp “early spring” morning captures, with a charm unique to graphite, a moment representative of the melancholy of a much more simple, humble, and innocent time.
“Western Horseman” also invoked memories of that familiar, fantastic lifestyle. However, the gratification I felt upon completion of this piece was derived from hearing that it’s also a piece my client will cherish for the very same reasons. For me, that’s the most rewarding bonus an artist can be blessed with.
Growing up on a small cattle ranch overlooking the beautiful Clearwater River Valley, though, is just where my story, art journey and the inspiration for my pencil art begins. Much like the pristine, winding river of my childhood, my life and art have taken many wonderful, exciting twists and turns …
Most recently my realistic pencil drawings have grown to include Wildlife Pencil Drawings inspired by the amazing wildlife and awe-inspiring nature that has surrounded me throughout my entire lifetime. For instance, “Black Bear on Newsome Creek” is comprised of a combination of several photos of a black bear photographed near our cabin at Newsome Creek several yeas ago, combined with background elements from scenery photos of the area and even a bit of my own imagination.
Conversely, while working on “Mountain Lion Perch”, I worked diligently to remain true to every detail of an amazing reference photo taken by my husband on our own property just a few short years ago.
In “Wild Bull Rider” several reference photos were combined, each having special and significant meaning to my clients, in order to create a pencil collage reflecting their son’s passion for bull riding, the western lifestyle and his love of country.
In contrast, with “Mike and Mandy”, I simply referred to a single beautiful photo chosen by the soon-to-be bride to realistically capture and portray “the love of a young couple about to embark on their life long journey together” in pencil.
My main objective with my art is simply to create realistic pencil drawings with “a story to tell”, adding meaning and interest to each piece, while capturing and including as much detail as possible. I love to use light, shadow and contrast to increase the overall “realistic” feel of my finished work for clients, pencil art collectors and others viewing my art.
To me, the process of putting pencil to paper to create realistic art provides me with a solace like no other. Sharing it with and receiving positive, complimentary feedback from those who have a similar passion for pencil art is truly “icing on the cake” and the inspiration that keeps me striving to improve with each stroke of the pencil.
Select pieces of my original pencil art can be viewed at Xanadu Gallery online and Women Artists of the West online. Originals and Limited Edition prints of my wildlife and western art are available through BarbSchacherFineArt.com. Please contact me directly for Commission Art or for more information on my Originals by calling 509-671-2606 or emailing Barb@BarbsWesternArt.com.
