Track Suit, Gotham Rat

I was walking home after a movie (Beach Rats, which was great) and I suppose I passed by a Gotham Rat, in the sense that the man who passed by me had a body similar to the guys in the movie, save for the fact that he was wearing a sort of flowy track suit ensemble and was tying on a headscarf. Mine is not to question the outfit, mine is to render the flow of his garments. :)

Very Perry 28

Adding some miscellaneous shots to flesh out the story more and balance the hyper-realized model shots. This one is another view of the other outfit I rendered. The model's nose is much more interesting in profile.

Very Perry 27

Nearly the home stretch here. I'm more or less happy with this one, unless I fuck it up majorly between now and later, lol. But I think he juuuuust might be ...omg...done!

Very Perry 26

I like how rough this rendering is, but I'm not sure it fits in with the rest of what I've crafted. Ah well, we'll see when it all comes together. There might need to be some refining of this piece.

Very Perry 25

Ugh, I'm late again, and not because I wasn't working on this No, because I was watching Game of Thrones. I guess I could be forgiven for focusing on that finale. What a finale!

Very Perry 24

I did a bad thing and compared the linework I did with the actual photo, superimposing them over the other and realizing how far off my proportions were. I was never great with proportions—I'm not like those guys that see it and get it immediately on their first sketch layout. Anyhow, what I thought was done is being retooled. And heavily!

Very Perry 23

I think I got a handle on his face now. Just need to render the cheeks better, add the hair, then the outfit should be an easier render. I'd been doing this all day and had so much free time, you'd think I wouldn't be late for posting for yesterday!

Very Perry 22

I added another vignette, although I wonder if it's a bit off looking...?

Very Perry 21

I always knew I would end up retooling this but I never know by how much until I actually do it. he good thing is that it's easier to edit something than to start, and since I tend to just see everything that's wrong with a piece, the desire to fix it is there. Interestingly enough, I put in a lot of work into this face, and I've deleted most of the paint work to start over, and I feel like it's an improvement thus far. Thankfully, digital illustration allows you to redraw something nearly completely without it seeming overworked. Still not done though, as evidenced by those joker lips I have yet to revisit.

Very Perry 20

More work on the series, this time trying to add more vignettes and texture to it. Although I didn't get very many references for the accessories... but these pseudo flyknits were interestingly sporty in a designer-y kind of way.

Pink Ink

Had lunch today with my illustrator friend Lamont, who complimented me on the fact that I sketch whatever I want when the muse hits me. By that, I take it, he meant whatever style I want. So if I want to do an ink sketch today, I ... did.

Very Perry 19

Need to get back to the other sketches in the series. But the good thing and bad thing about leaving a sketch for a while is finding either what's wrong or right about it—and I definitely found things that needed correction. Ugh, never ending. Just when you thought you had gotten it down...

In Hudson

I was beastly hot today up in Hudson, and even if I was in shorts, my black outfit was a bit too much, especially in the sun. Ah well, it was a short trip anyhow, and I'm back in NY.

Off to Hudson!

And looking just a bit oversized.

Origami Bunny

I'm heading up to Hudson tomorrow to fold origami for kids. I'm not even sure how I got wrangled into this, I'm no expert. I can only do a crane and a few boxes, maybe a tulip. Tonight I'll try and learn how to do a bunny. This drawing is a nice break form all the intense painting I was doing on the Perry stuff.

Very Perry 18

I think this might be done. But there's certainly the other parts of this story to finish up...

Very Perry 17

The only problem with spending this much time on one models face, is now I have to make sure I put in equal (or at least equivalent) effort into the accompanying sketches. Oy. But I think I've gotten a more than decent portrait for the sketch. 5 minutes late to the posting, but hopefully worth it.

Very Perry 16

The 'clients' are chomping at the bit right now for these drawings so I better get a move on, although I AM working on them, just not all the time.

Rex...

...wasn't his real name, but he posed under a pseudonym because he's got a career to worry about. I did a lot of drawings but need to photograph them better. This is one of my faves, a five minute quickie.

Watercolor Doodles

I kept specific people in mind but didn' necessarily attempt to make portraits loyal to the inspiration. I just let my ideas about their forms dictate how I try and render them. It made for more character than I think I would've have achieved if left to my own devices.

Slim

I should really continue to paint my Perry Ellis piece but I'm ired and need a break today. So here's a quickie slim male nude.

Very Perry 15

I might—JUST MIGHT—be ready to move on from the face and actually finish the outfit!

Very Perry 14

I'm reeeeeally working hard at getting the likeness. It's strange how much you can see that you did wrong when you're able to walk away form it for a bit.

Bopped 3

My friend Lamont encouraged me to select one feature versus the other, so I kept the eyeshadow and turned everything else tonal. I think it works.

Comic Stripping

I was thinking I should do a whole series of drawings of super heroes taking off their clothes.

Very Perry 13

This quickly decided sketch is quickly becoming more fun to do. I suppose not caring as much about this particular pose has made me be much more experimental with how I render it, which is part of the fun.

Very Perry 12

Adding another pose to the story.  This is the first draft rough sketch.

Very Perry 11

I saw an artist's work on Instagram and his underpainting technique inspired me to do some of my own on this piece. I never learned how to paint properly (at least, I don't recall being taught in Art School) so much of what I do is instinctive or self-taught.

Very Perry 10

It's funny how after starting out really raw, you can keep refining what you once thought was a good likeness, and you increase that likeness with each improvement, and the more you improve, the less it seems like it's improving, lol

Skin Tones

Kyle Webster's Natural Edge brushes are some of my favorites of his creations, and I keep finding new ways to use them.