Red Panda & Velociraptor

This'll have to do for now.

Super Bear Cooks

G'ah! Missed yesterday's post, but I'm determined to stay on this drawing-a-day thing. Here are two more! Enjoy. Sketch yah laters.

Sketch Dump

Man time flies. Sadly these quick sketches will have to do for now. 

Pet Velociraptor

Who knew red pandas kept baby velociraptors as pets?

Lovely Lady Cool Down Sketch

Showing my appreciation of the female form by drawing it. New nightly series. 

Bear Creature

Don't let its cute demeanor fool you...! 

Some Animal Foodies

Sketching Around

Sketching around with my new blackwing pencil.

Hello Water Frog Dude

Crocodile Mage

Big Bruce, The One Armed Menace

I just realized all of these croc warriors look extremely kind. Next designs will have a lot more meanness to 'em.

Another Crocodile Warrior

Croc Warrior - Battle Stance Ready

Character Designs Sketch Dump

Started a "Drawing-A-Day" challenge with a friend this week. These are some practice sketches starting from a week ago up to yesterday.

Hope ya dig 'em.

Croc Warrior

Something fun is coming along with this guy. Promise.

Some recent sketches...

Been getting my figure drawing practice on in-between helping my students and class demos.

Just a character concept I was playing around with one night.  Not quite finished, but I may end up inking it in Illustrator .

 Here's another series of sequential photographs documenting my portraiture process.  Hope you like!

Sketch yah laters!

Final portrait study.

Process.

Portrait Drawing Process

Recently, I have been attending a weekly figure drawing workshop.  While the poses are focused on traditional figure drawing, I always go to practice on my portraiture drawing skills.  In-between sessions, I take photographs of my progress.  Thought I would share my most recent, and favorite, drawing sesh.  In total, this was a 1.5 hour study.

Hope you enjoy!

I usually block in the large shadow values/shapes first.  It helps me create a foundation for the head shape and where to layout my facial features.

 Once I have the basic positive and negative shapes established, I then focus on where the individual features of the face align based on shape and value.  I also make sure they are proportional to the model, and not generically placed.

During this stage, I am also looking at the cast/drop shadow shapes, as well as the reflected/bounced light.  I want to make sure I have a clear understand of how the light source is building the structure and form of the model's head.

After doing some editing, and redrawing of values and features, I allow myself to build a range of values.  This helps me create more structure and form, without have to rely on outlines and contours.

Throughout the entire process I am constantly going back-and-forth from one area of the head to another.  This helps me render the portrait as a whole, instead of individual parts.  By doing this, I feel it keeps the portrait as a complete study, instead of having some parts rendered while leaving others unfinished. 

Finally, after building a range of values I apply cross-hatching to give my illustration more visual texture and a variety of tone.  I then allow myself to include other elements of the model, so as not to have a floating head in the middle of my stage.

Starting the Year Off Right

First drawing done.  364 more to go...

Happy 2015, everybody!