I'm a little afraid of this drawing. The model is a famous fashion designer who's a good friend of a friend. I took his photos three years ago and began this portrait around then, but haven't been able to finish. I have such high expectations for the outcome, as well as hoping to please the John himself, so much so that I have avoided finishing this piece out of fear of those expectations. I suppose it's because of many things, but I think ultimately it's because I'm doing this as a piece for someone else, and not for myself, which it should be. I'm trying to let go and trust that I'll do the right thing.
Fortunately, in the past 3/4 of a year since I started this blog, the constant practice has actually affected my skills in a positive way. Shapes and forms I didn't see before are clearer than ever, and I think I can actually do a better job. Yet I still hope that John himself, who came with his own idea of the art direction, would be pleased. After three years, I have much to live up to. I'm still not sure how much longer before I finish this...
What's to finish? I like it as is.
ReplyDeleteThe coloring gives it a surrealistic polish to the point that the subject seems almost worshipped, but there's still enough "sketch" left to it to keep it organic. Are you hoping to continue the gloss, making the whole thing shine, or do you want to leave a bit of hand to it?
I is curious.
I was going to continue to clean it up but hopefully leave enough of the sketchiness in. I like sketchy mixed in with refined, but there's a particular kind of linework that I like that seems more natural to me. Here, I realized belatedly, that Photoshop doesn't give me the same line quality as natural media, or as Painter can (or at least, I haven't found the proper brushes like I did the wet media ones in later posts). When seen at full size, the lines are jagged and too even, as opposed to sketchy like a pencil. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you here, Justin, after the destruction of Harry's. I feel like an alternate timeline has been wiped away and our lives there will soon fade into memory...