Audrey

Time for another process post. This piece was commissioned as a Christmas gift. Thank you Ern. The request was for a drawing on a white background with a touch of pastel pink somewhere.

Step one:
Inspiration


These were the pictures that where given to me to choose from. I considered them all. I look for the one that draws my eye the most, that shows the most character, and would be funnest for me to draw. I choose the left one; I liked how massive the hat was, the biting on the glasses, and the curve of her neck/back.

I then sketched out a thumbnail which I have somehow misplaced :(. See the Kobe post for an example.

Step two:
Drawing the facial features.


I start with the eyes, then the nose and mouth.

Step Three:
The shape of the face.


I played around with some different shapes but decided on the bottom right one. It matched my thumbnail the most.

Step Four:
The body.


I placed the face on top of the original picture because I was not getting the correct feel for the curve and proportions. Notice how I changed the jaw and dropped the curve at the edge of the lips (it was making her look older).

Step Five:
The sunglasses and hand.


I was almost done laying the drawing out when my wife noticed how bad the positioning of the hand seemed. she recommended I move it closer to the body and it made all the difference. I added the pink to the lips and that sealed the drawing.

Kobe

Kobe was a piece commissioned by a coworker. It was asked for a long time ago before I began selling my work. Once I began getting orders I decided to create this drawing.

Here is the process:

First I searched thru images on google to find a couple that I felt captured his spirit.

These are the ones I chose.



Then I start sketching the drawing out with pen or pencil. It is very rough. Almost a thumbnail.


I then scanned my sketch into the computer and start tracing with the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator. Here is where all the work and time is really spent. Making shapes appear like hand drawings is something I have become very good at.

It is click here and click there. Use this tool and that one. Combine shapes and send shapes to the back. And all that computer jazz.

As I work I begin thinking about the colors. I pull colors from the pictures and adjust them to my liking. I then start the "inking" process. Making the drawing look like it has been inked.

Here is sample of what traditional inking is.


Notice the pencils on the left and then the inking on the right. In traditional comics you ink and then you color.

In my work I color and then I "ink".


I then added the background to make it appear like he was on the basketball court playing in front of his Laker fans.

My First Commission

It was 2 years ago that a friend had given me a framed picture of one of my drawings as a Christmas gift exchanged. It was then that ideas of having my drawings hung up on a wall began to fill my mind.

My first paid commission was requested by another friend who now runs a bakery shop. She was the first to offer me actual money for one of my digital drawings. She paid for an Edward Cullen for her mother-in-law and then asked me to do an original drawing.

She wanted to give her "compadres" a drawing of her goddaughter. I was flattered to be given such a task. I was worried that the final image would not be any good. Self-esteem issues where plaguing my mind. I wanted to give up and say I was not up to the challenge.

I persevered and finished the drawing. I was nervous to hear the feedback. When she saw it she loved it. She even gave me more money than I had asked for.

Later at a wedding the parents came up to me and thanked me for the beautiful drawing I had made for them. It was a special moment.

Thank you friends for encouraging me begin my journey.

Bella Swan

Bella is a character in the book Twilight. I had two drawings from the series already and decided to finish the set.

Edward and Jacob need to be reworked. When I compare them with Bella it seems that there is a big difference in technique/skill. Edward and specially Jacob seem like a rough draft. In art school that was always a critique by one of my teachers. She said I had a glimmer of talent starting to show and she wished I would finish the work. I never understood until now.

Marilyn

Here is one that I have started and stopped time and again. I am finally happy with it.

One thing I did with this one was keep pushing until everything was balanced. I flipped the face on the original drawing and noticed how tilted it was.

Hope you all like it.

Me at the Present

Here is a self caricature i made of my current role at work. people watching me work on this was very inspiring to me.

Managers, Inc.

Here is a piece commissioned by one of my managers at work. the theme is monster's inc. i made each manager into one of the characters from the movie.

it was a very fun project.

Cherry Blossom

Just made this little graphic for my sister's wedding invitation. my wife is hand making the invitations and they look great. they decided on a cherry blossom theme for the teal color of the wedding.

the japanese paper is perfect and i added this to the top of the invitations.

Drawing While People Look On

Is so hard.

I was at work drawing on the computer (I do not draw for a living).

I was using the Pages app from Apple. The app has a hidden pen tool in the shapes drop down.

I was making a caricature of myself and my belly. (I will post it here later)

I was having a bunch of fun until I realized people were looking on. Then I got self conscience and the flow was running out of me. I got it back and then one of my coworkers asked if I could draw them.

Then the pressure was on. ♫ Pushing down on me...

It was an experience. But people seemed to enjoy it and more people asked if I could draw them. Thank you coworkers!