This year I decided to set myself a goal: I want to improve at illustrating scenes with characters in them. To practice, I’m aiming to do two studies per month, generally of screenshots but photos in general are good too. Will I stick with it? Will I share them all on the internet? Who knows, and probably not. But I thought it’d be interesting to at least share these first two, to look back on and see progress.

Both followed a similar approach: draw from reference, choose colours and rough values, then draw the image again on watercolour paper. For this second drawing, I put the original reference away and instead used my sketch as reference. This gives me a challenge to not rush the sketch and instead include all the detail I feel I’ll need.

I consider these two steps a kind of distillation. A stepping away from the source and letting myself explore and push what I find interesting in the subjects. When I always have the source in front of me, I find I can get too attached to it and have a hard time stylizing.

I’m exploring processes and mediums and trying to find what I like best, though I have noticed that when I create using traditional materials I enjoy the process more, but am often less happy with the result. When I create digitally, I find I get more caught up in the result, and the process is mainly the thing I have to do to get there. Digital art is easier to alter and edit as I go, whereas traditional mediums involve more decisions and commitments.

At least that’s how I currently feel, but as I try to create more regularly & habitually, who’s to say how these thoughts will evolve.

Happy as Lazzaro

Watercolour & pencil crayon

The Jibaro Siren

From Love, Death & Robots. Watercolour & gouache