Sketches - motion and emotion

Color and motion study

Publish Post

Character studies

Warm-up sketch: crazy-silly cartoony

Warm-up sketch: 3 preteens

I saw a stock photo of three preteen kids walking along in a field. Two were close together, one was a little further back. Why? Maybe the two forward characters were in a fight with the third? Or is the third one harassing the two? What's unique about number three?

These were the questions running through my head as I sketched them. I noticed also that I didn't "study" the reference photo and try to make the drawing look like it. I rarely do that unless they are photos I took myself. It's like I use the photos as a launching pad for ideas.

Warm up sketch...with china marker

Warm up sketch...with ink

More warm ups

Warm up sketches

Often I like to sketch "warm-up" drawings before doing "serious" drawings. Shakes the cobwebs off, reminds me how to coordinate my hand/eyes/brain.

Sometimes I use photo references to get started, sometimes not. Here's one from a stock photo reference, of a preteen girl with her guitar:

Memories - warm toned

Adopted sibling rivalry

In this illustration, I wanted to tell a story of parents who already have an adopted child, and have adopted another. Clearly the boy isn't happy about it at first, but his little sister reaches out and warms his heart. I love the colors on this - working on the experimental Strathmore paper which I seem to like better than the expensive Fabriano.