Wednesday, September 12, 2012

From the Sketchbook Archives: Nightboy

A quick sketch portrait of a nighttime denizen from some time ago. This piece illustrates the reluctance I have sometimes to completely embrace solid black shadows.  It probably would have worked just as well without the hatching or the thin highlights on the neck and at the temple and hair.  Once the black is applied though, it's permanent.  The challenge as always is knowing when.

{Sharpie}

UPDATE 022614:

This piece was Exhumed and reinvestigated with color in February 2014.  Check out the Exhumed image here.

2 comments:

Eddie said...

Love the scribbly spiky ends of the hair. Great scan, by the way. I like seeing all of the pen strokes in the solid dark areas.

Campbell3555 said...

This is very unusual hair for me. I usually go a bit more cartoony and don't draw all the little bits. It's kind of a reversal of what I normally do with all the tiny details in the hair and the broad solid shapes in the face...it was opposite day - I mean no it wasn't.

I have mixed reactions on the pen strokes from the scan. Sometimes I enjoy them and other times not so much. However, If I were going to reproduce this in any fashion I would probably adjust the contrast in Photoshop to all solid blacks. After too many years in the print industry I'm always thinking reproduction. Watercolor on the other hand...and sharpie doesn't bleed...hmmmm...

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