Category Archives: Portraiture

Monkey See, Monkey Deux

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Here is a little something I whipped up a few weeks back and worked on again last night…

Prismacolor markers

Prismacolor markers

Prismacolor marker & Graphite

Prismacolor marker & Graphite

 

The first one is just to illustrate a bit of my process. I use a 30% French grey Prismacolor marker and really just go wild with it. Big broad strokes until I start to see something in the mess. Then I go back in and darken where I need to. I’m pretty sure I’ve explained the process before, but I’ll repeat it for anyone who hasn’t read my older posts. Does anyone even read these?

Anyways. On the second phase, the marker was completely dried so the values were a bit lighter. I went back in with the same 30% French grey and pushed the darks (the wonderful thing about Prismacolor markers). Finally, I tried something new and added some even darker values with graphite pencil, instead of just adding line work like I usually do. Loved the way these two mediums worked together.

A Portrait

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Real quick….

18x24 Black and White Charcoal Pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes Toned Paper

18×24 Black and White Charcoal Pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes Toned Paper

Had to post more than once this month. This is a 2 hour portrait done in class. I really miss sitting there peacefully hatching away, listening to music. I might repost if I can get a better shot. Tried shooting my own art today. Lighting is the hardest part :/

Winning!!

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Remember that portrait sketch I did of the character I’m developing? The alien dude with the cool hairdo? Okay this guy…

Alien Undead

5×7 Graphite and Micron Pens on White Copy Paper.
Background done with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

Well I entered it to the SketchTheatre.com monthly image contest and I won 4th place! Yeah. 4th place and I’m pretty excited. I’ve never entered any art contests, so therefore my art has never won me anything. Now I get 2 free DVD’s of my choosing from The Gnomon Workshop DVD library :D … I went with the first 2 of a 4 part series with the legendary Syd Mead. I encourage any other artist reading this to enter these contests. Why not? Later!

Alien Undead?

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I did this yesterday, using that profile sketch of this same character and myself as reference…

Alien Undead

5×7 Graphite and Micron Pens on White Copy Paper.
Background done with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

I pretty much just used the profile sketch to make guidelines for the proportions (forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, etc.) and then just used this continuous line sketch technique until I got a silhouette I was satisfied with. Then, I just attacked it with some details :)

Lastly, I gave it that those finishing touches with the Old English type for the copyright and a custom Photoshop brush for the texture. Enjoy

Out With the New. In With the Old

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So I found a ton of old drawings from school that I had set apart to be photographed at some point in time. I don’t remember how I came about them all I remember is how I felt when I did… inspired (not to sound cocky or anything). I never had a very good camera so I never took the time to photograph them and never had the time, money, or drive to go get them professionally done. Fortunately, my girlfriend now has an SLR camera so I dropped everything I was doing, set up a little photo shoot in my garage and got started. I still have to manipulate them a bit in Photoshop, but I’m so excited that I have to share the few that are done. First up, is a mixed media painting that was done in I-don’t-know-what class. When I found it, the painting was very unfinished, as are most of my other class assignments, so I took all day yesterday and experimented on it. I took out a brand new box of pastels and went to work. Here are the before and after photos.

The base was done in watercolor and I added chalk pastel, used a paper stump to blend, and at the end I decided to get a really small spotter brush and do some line work with India ink. Then made some adjustments in Photoshop and added text with the help of Illustrator. I’m pretty satisfied with the results considering the under-painting was done a few years ago. I’m mostly satisfied with the experimentation because I think I found a style I like for now. Next is a portrait I did in a Heads & Hands class. This was a 3 hour pose I believe done in black and white charcoal pencil on Canson toned paper. No smudging was used, the instructor, Chris Newhard, wouldn’t allow it (I now respect him so much for this). It was all just based on pressure and charcoal pencil softness and hardness. Yadda yadda yadda here’s the drawing.

18x24in Charcoal Portrait

18x24in Charcoal Portrait

… and an 1 hour ink wash drawing done in the same class.

16x20in Ink Wash Portrait

16x20in Ink Wash Portrait

Critiques are more than welcome.. they’re encouraged :)