Sabrina – step 2 (ink completed)

I’ve completed inking the piece digitally and have submitted it to the client to ensure she’s happy with the likeness.  I could also have prepared this traditionally in pencil but I often find it more efficient to do this in Photoshop because I can add another layer underneath to show where the bones sit.  This helps me to see any obvious errors in the pose and to see how the fur will sit.

Sabrina – steps 1 and 2 (clean-up and ink)

As the client has made her selection of the pose and composition she prefers, I begin cleaning up the thumbnail by placing tracing paper over the initial sketch and overlaying rough perspective lines in blue. I cheat a little on the perspective as it’s not necessary to be 100% accurate for this piece so I don’t bother agonizing over lines being a little off.  I’ve been told that as long as it looks correct, it is correct – at least to the viewer.  Mind you, in something more obvious, I would take more care.

I follow this by outlining the shapes of the character in red so as not to get mixed up with the perspective lines drawn. Something else I learned is that it’s easier to work with perspective on a thumbnail or smaller picture than at full scale and having to break out the extra long rulers!

Once happy with the layout, I outline the cat and bed in pencil and add some light shading.  At this point, I scan it in and bring it into Photoshop for inking which I do on a separate layer above the scanned image.

 

Life drawing at the TCW – Tuesday, March 13

I went life drawing for the first time since last year (also around this time) at the TCW (they hold their open life drawing on Tuesday evenings) and thought I’d post one of my drawings from that session.

I’ve usually never been quite happy with my life drawing abilities, always seeming to get either the proportions or perspective wrong and these are no exception but regardless there’s usually the odd piece which I find interesting enough to hold onto and these are some of them.  I know I haven’t quite done the beautiful model, Rubie Laframboise, justice but hopefully you will enjoy them regardless.

I really should go more often so that I can improve.