A Recent Commission

I’m still working hard on my post for Learning How to Draw: Part II (a.k.a Learning How to Draw Super Awesome Style Like the Talented Hardworking Folks at the Grand Central Academy of Art). It’s a beast for a post as I’m sifting through all of my notes from the workshop and making sure I am absorbing everything I’ve learned. In the meantime, here are some samples from a commission I recently finished. These are all illustrations for a book of poetry.

These drawings were rendered in Photoshop CS6 using a Wacom Tablet.

Surprisingly, I find drawing digitally to be very similar to the way I would work with more traditional tools such as charcoal or oils. I massed in the large values to create a rough idea of the composition before honing in on the details. The only difference is that I usually have a very detailed drawing prepared when I work traditionally. It felt refreshing and bold not having to do that with my digital work, as something could easily be added or removed with the click of a button or layer. I wouldn’t say that made drawing this way easier, though. It was just a little different but just as fun and challenging.