Thursday, August 6, 2015

Inktense Geisha

 
Unfinished - see end for final

I am revisiting an old subject of mine - a Geisha. Nothing new in the subject matter, except perhaps she has a full Kimono now, but I wanted to share a new technique I have discovered with Inktense pencils.

If you remember in my former attempt to use Inktense pencils, I noted the difference to them in regards to watercolour pencils. I wasn't sure if I liked how different they were to use, but now I have tried them again (with some youtube inspiration) I think I have discovered their new potential.





The technique with the pencils are covered in the first 5 minutes of this video. The rest you can watch for pure enjoyment of making your own cards. I had also watched other videos which showed different techniques, but it would be painstaking to list them all.

I always struggled with application of the water or how thick to apply the pencil. I am getting more comfortable with alternating between both, rather than having one preferred method.




The difference between the top image and the last, is the addition of heavier shading. Good in some ways, bad in others. I know I still have a lot to experiment with these pencils. Maybe even the style of how I illustrate?

The pencils lend themselves more to animation than realism. More 2D than 3D. Or perhaps it has to do with the fact, I only have 10 pencils? I have ordered the 72 pack recently, when it went on sale, in hopes I can obtain a greater range of colour grades. But to be honest, I need to experiment with personal technique, more, as well.

While I think its a bright, happy picture, it also looks very flat. I haven't obtained the depth I was hoping for, with the addition of heavier shading.

Just more reason, to play around with different styles, subjects and techniques.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Single Owl

I have really missed this space, while I've been busy with life. It's often been in the back of my mind. So I was happy to take some time away today, and tinker a little more with my charcoal pencil set.


Ready to fly


I took one of the owls I drew in my former black charcoal sketch, and spent some time, giving it some more recognisable features.

There were lots of fantastic pictures I found on the internet, of this particular owl, but I didn't want to copy any of them directly. So I took different features from different images, to create my own stance. It probably makes it look more unnatural this way, but its my creative process, and I want to do different things.

I tend to be a realist when I create, and I want to take steps away from that hard format, to be a little more fluid with my creativity. It's the only way I'm going to develop a style which is uniquely my own.