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Hello Everyone, Thank you for finding my blog. I don't update this anymore. You can find my current work over at: What A Dream I Had. Thank you!! Carlos

How I draw: 2

Here is another time lapse video.

How I draw

Here is a video on the process I have to produce my drawings.

Winter Hibernation

I took all of December and January off. After finishing the Audrey commission I stopped drawing.

In February I started up again. I got a commission from a manager of mine at work. He wanted a couples drawing. The pressure was on. I could not capture his girlfriend. I pushed thru it and the result was super fun.



I also got a request for a print of Harley Quinn, which I originally drew for my sister in law. Thank you so much for that coworker.



I also got some more commission. Two from some close friends for their new baby daughter's nursery. The first was for a Ms. Pac-man and the second for a Barbie silhouette. I loved working on both those pieces.

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.