Tag: portrait

Tlali

I’ve recently started teaching a portrait class for Sketchbook Skool’s Spark subscription programme. Since I use Copic markers a lot there’s been some demand for more instruction on their use so this weekend I’m going to be teaching a pop-up class on alcohol markers. Since not everyone uses Copics I wanted to include a range of alcohol markers, so I dug out some of my other ones for the class and thought I would reacquaint myself with them.

So today I drew Tlali from Sktchy with Winsor & Newton Promarkers (& a few Copics since my W&N collection is very limited). I used the W&N skin tones 2 collection for this portrait in a Moleskine sketchbook.

You can find out more about Sketchbook Skool and Spark here.

Kathryn

I love drawing glasses and sunglasses and any kind of reflected light in portraits. I had a lot of fun with the green sunnies in this portrait of Kathryn from Museum by Sktchy.

I drew her with a Unipin fineliner in a Fabriano Venezia sketchbook, painted her with Daniel Smith and Zecchi Toscana watercolour and finished the portrait off with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Isabel

I love drawing distortion. There is something very forgiving about drawing a distorted image. I think perhaps it’s because there is less pressure to create a perfect likeness – since the face is already distorted will any one looking at it really notice if you get it wrong and distort it a little bit more? I exaggerated her colouring too just because I felt like it, but I think I went a little too far with the pink and tried to pull it back a bit with coloured pencils at the end.

I borrowed Isabel’s face from the Museum by Sktchy app for this portrait and drew her with Copic markers and coloured pencils ain my Midori cotton sketchbook.

Alina

It’s taken me more than a week to finish this portrait. I got stuck on the hair for some reason and now it feels either over or under done. I suppose I mean that I think I should have either left it alone sooner or I think I need to work on it more, but I don’t have the time or motivation so I’m leaving it here and moving on.

The face is the Alina from Museum by Sktchy, who I’ve drawn before, and I used my usual Bic 4 colour ballpoint pens.

Foroogh

It’s been a very difficult few days in my personal life and the best way for me to deal with that is to draw my way through it. I’m very grateful to Foroogh, my muse from the Museum by Sktchy app, for lending me for face today, which I drew on my iPad Pro using the Procreate app.

India

This is India from the Museum by Sktchy app drawn and painted in a Fabriano Venezia sketchbook with a Unipin fineliner, watercolours and coloured pencils.

Chloe

This is Chloe from the Museum by Sktchy app drawn with Copic markers and coloured pencils.

Julie

This is turning into a very stressful week, mainly due to my father being unwell and in hospital. At times like these drawing and painting are the best therapy. These are the times when it is, of course, hardest to find the time to just stop, sit and draw. It can seem the least important thing to do when there are one hundred and one other demands on your time. But I know that, for me, it’s the most important thing to do.

I have chronic and persistent migraine, which means that I have migraines on between 15 and 25 days in any month. Of course I woke up with one today and have been nauseous and vomiting on and off all day. I know this is stress-related and the best couple of hours I’ve had all day have been those I spent drawing this portrait. I know that taking some time out to draw increases the chances that I will have a migraine-free day tomorrow.

Thank you to Julie from the Museum by Sktchy app for being the muse for my portrait today which was made with watercolour and coloured pencils in a Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.

Vazha

As time passes ballpoint pens are increasingly becoming my comfort zone but, if you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’ll have noticed that I’m gradually adopting a “less is more” approach. I like my ballpoint pen portraits best when they are simple and not too heavily worked.

I always work my first layer in blue and the hardest decision is always whether to add any more colour once I’ve done that initial blue layer. I loved how this looked with just a single layer of blue and I honestly can’t say if it’s better or worse with more colour added but I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out.

I used 3 different Bic 4 colour ballpoint pens in a Life Noble Note Plain notebook and the muse is Vazha from the Museum by Sktchy app.

Scuzzilch

Sundays are good drawing days. I always feel like I have can take my time to draw on a Sunday, without feeling pressured by the demands of work. I’m never sure if that shows through in my portraits but I definitely feel that is draw slower at weekends when I feel more relaxed. Today I drew Scuzzilch from the Museum by Sktchy app with Copic markers and coloured pencils.