Here’s my latest piece for In Touch magazine. The article is about turning times you stumble as a parent into opportunities to grow closer to your child. Thought I’d give you a condensed version of how I did it.
Step 1: As you can see, I don’t believe in submitting tight roughs for concept approval. If you get too detailed, you risk losing some creative flexibility in the final execution.
Step 2: Final line art done in ballpoint pen (I’m starting to really like using them for my illustrations, and not just my doodling).
Step 3: I convert the line art to a “multiply” layer in Photoshop, and create a second layer underneath it. On this new layer I then paint in solid areas of color.
Step 4: Finally, I go in and do some color modeling to give the image more depth.
And there you have it… one extremely truncated explanation of the steps I use to create a finished illustration.
Tags: art, art instruction, artist, ballpoint pen, creativity, facial expression, funny, humor, illustration, illustrator, jaggedsmile, pen and ink, PhotoShop
November 10, 2009 at 3:34 pm |
I use almost the same technique for digital painting =)
November 14, 2009 at 10:02 am |
awesome piece, i’m a big fan of your blog. what type of ballpoint pen do you use?
November 14, 2009 at 1:00 pm |
Pretty much whatever’s available. Although the cheapy Bics that you can buy in the bulk packs seem to work better than anything. Odd, I know, but that’s how it is.
November 15, 2009 at 5:32 pm |
Thanks for the response! i really like the look of cheap the ballpoints, but i’m too clumsy and always seem to smear all over. i have a Pentel favorite (R204) i’ve been using forever and i’d hate to ever have to switch.
February 1, 2010 at 8:16 am |
Love your work, stumbled on it from google!