This portrait of Oriana reflects my new slower and more thoughtful approach to drawing faces. I focused less on capturing her likeness and more on representing something about her that felt true and honest to me. So while I can see that her face shape is not quite right in the portrait, I nevertheless think that I’ve captured the spirit of her in a beautiful way that makes me very happy.
I drew Oriana in my A4 Moleskine sketchbook with Copic markers.
In the inspiration photo for Nicky’s portrait she has only one half of her face made up but I struggled to really show that with coloured pencils except on her lips. I really needed to add more depth of colour to her skin tones. Still much to learn about using coloured pencils!
I drew this in my HannehmĂĽhle Nostalgie sketchbook with Derwent Artists coloured pencils.
I want to spend more time on my portraits and, in particular, try to draw at least some portraits that include more than just a face. So here is a little more of Kaelin than just her face.
I painted this in my Laloran sketchbook with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.
Back once again in my Copic comfort zone, Thiago has a little bit of everything I love. Beautiful skin tones, soulful eyes, a knitted hat, strong facial features, a few freckles and some stubble but no beard. Drawing heaven for me – his photo allowed me to have the simplest of line drawings and let my colour do the work, especially with the eyes and shadow, which are always the most important part for me. If you’re reading this Thiago, you’re the perfect male muse. Upload more Sktchy photos for me ASAP.
I drew Thiago in my A4 Moleskine sketchbook with a Copic multiliner and Copic markers.
I drew this portrait of Bailey on my iPad Pro using the Procreate app and Lisa Bardot’s pencil box brushes.
With this portrait of Hope I was trying here to see if I could use a ballpoint pen brush in Procreate to create a portrait similar to the ones I’ve been drawing in my Moleskine – but I really struggled. I was using a good brush I think but I couldn’t get my pressure/sensitivity right – and I ended up losing the likeness. And it took FOREVER! So I think I might stick to the analogue tools in future.
I’ve made a big decision about my portrait drawing over the weekend. I feel like I’ve hit a kind of plateau and perhaps even gone backwards, because I’m struggling to find enough time to really experiment in the way I need to in order to push my work forward. So I’ve decided that after three and a half years of more or less daily portrait drawing I’m not going to push myself to post a portrait every day any more. I’m going to continue to draw portraits as often as I can and will probably be working on a portrait most days, but I may work on a single portrait over several days to give me the time to experiment more and to allow me the time to work on other projects. So keep visiting because I’ll be posting, just perhaps not every day.
I drew Loke’s portrait with a variety of ballpoint pens in a Moleskine sketchbook.
I’m beginning to feel comfortable drawing with coloured pencils. I feel like I’ve found a process that suits me now and preserves my style so that the portraits I produce are still recognisably mine. I probably still need to build enough confidence with this style to add more layers of colour but I do at least feel like I’m going in the right direction now.
I drew Iliriana’s portrait in my HannehmĂĽhle Nostalgie sketchbook with Prismacolor coloured pencils.
Still working on my ballpoint pen skills after that great Sktchy Art School course on Portraits in Pen. I think I’m improving slowly, but it is a very slow improvement. I still haven’t got the lightness of touch I’d like to achieve but I’ll keep at it and hopefully get there eventually.
I drew this in an A5 Moleskine with a variety of ballpoint pens.
This was such a hard draw. It’s so hard to draw a face when the usual markers, features and shadows aren’t clearly identifiable but are hidden by lots of face paint and make up. I struggle to get any sense of dimension and this face looks horribly flat. But it’s the Day of the Dead and I just had to draw a sugar skull portrait!
I drew this in my Moleskine sketchbook with Copic markers.
drawing faces 