Stage two portraiture

Stage two portrait with blending some shadows and value gradation and a bit of highlights. Still under-painting which is why I haven't messed with the eyelids and lash details yet nor the lips, hair, beard, or brow. 

Irezumi/ukiyo-e Japanese style tattoo design

Here is a recent completed tattoo design. Pen/ink and colored pencil

Triptych of the soul

Senior art show final painting width gauche, watercolor, inks, and , art-makers. 

Reflections

This Is a watercolor/gauche and ink painting I did for my senior art show of a teardrop rippling a pool reflecting a saddened persons face. I really enjoy combining water mediums with pen and ink for the added texture and comic art quality it can bring out of a normally painterly effect from the paint alone. I used no reference photos and did no sketching when working on this piece. I began panting the forms only by blocking in color, and shapes, and then went back with the ink to define some outlines as wells as the ripples to offset the softness of the face. 

Pagliacci - Warped Self Image

I had to complete a conté crayon self portrait sketch in under one hour for one of my advanced drawing classes. The self portrait had to convey to the viewer our self image, and inner hidden feelings. It was supposed to show others what we felt like we looked like on the outside. At the time is was going through a lot and was pretty depressed, so I identified with the crying clown Pagliacci. To the real world, all of my friends, and family I came across as the classic nice guy. I was happy, supportive/caring, funny, fun to be around, social, and seemed well put together. Needless to say I always felt completely transparent like others could see my deep inner secrets, my failures, my bad deeds, my sins, and I felt so exposed all of the time. We all wear masks to help us hide the things that make us most vulnerable I suppose from time to time. 

Portraiture - quick sketching

Here are some examples of quick portrait studies I completed back at John Tyler Community College, and while in Art (Honors Level) at Manchester High School. 

Deirdre - John Tyler Art Model

John - Classmate

Amerie - Classmate

Self portrait - duality

All of the above portraits were completed in a timed exercise in under 5 minutes using willow and vine charcoal only. Witch a model for reference.  The clock was started and it was "pencils" down (rather i say "sticks") when the alarm buzzer sounded. I loved how Mrs Diana Detamore punches me to see form and shape rather than preconceived visuals I "thought" I was seeing. This pushed me to become so well versed in facial emotion and expressions as well as not afraid of breaking the mold on proportions, scale, angle, and subject matter. 

Jennifer - Classmate Art Honors - Manchester High School

Self Portrait - VA Congressional Statewide Student Art-show 1st Place Winner

These last two were completed in Senior Art Honors class at Manchester High. The first of Jennifer is a "Da Vinci" style light study where the form is created by collecting and recording only information on the placement of highlights and reflective light areas. It forces the artist to see the forms of gradation and not tangible outlines and special references. The last portrait was painstakingly created partially from mirror posing, and from memory as well as a reference photo of my eyes nose and mouth cropped down as the only outside tool. 

Random sketching delights

Here are some recent sketches I completed for fun and just to get back into a habit of working with pencil again. I am going to be finishing up the edits for issue 2 of my comic/graphic novel script ad have every intention of beginning to tackle my rough page layouts again ASAP. I will still be working on my paintings in the down time and have every intention of posting a third and possible final stage to the lightning painting. In this collection of sketches we have some attempts at Don draper from MadMen, Superman, a female detective type, and a piece of a prisoner praying. As well as some brief studies of a skull. Hope you enjoy there will be more to come.