While working on homework, I realized that I could post something I was working on here just for the onlookers. With my handidandy scanner that I probably don't use enough, I went ahead and just scanned my progress so everyone can stop saying "omg that looks great!"-- because it's just a meticulous, step by step process. Easy. I promise! (haha!)
First things first, draw the image you're turning into a croquis. In this case, I'm working on trying to render plaid fabric so I used a Vivienne Westwood jacket for my reference piece. When everything looks situated, I tend to draw the flesh tone and hair before I get too far ahead. I figure it starts to give the drawing some personality. As for the hair, I could use marker but I just like colored pencil because it makes the strands separate nicely. The flesh tone is kind of difficult because you really just have to do it with some conviction and confidence! I know it looks strange at this point, but hang in there with me!
After throwing in some water color into the hair, I went into working on the trousers. This was tricky because I really wanted to show how the shape turns without it looking flat with the crease in the middle. I went in and painted the left side of each leg first with a couple layers of watercolor before even touching the right sides of the legs. While that was drying, I started working on the plaid which let me tell you, so tricky! If you look closely on the croquis on the right, you can see where I got lost in the design. I think next time I work on plaid I'm going to use marker... Regardless, I start also throwing in some defining lines around the figure in general along with a few highlights in the hair.
Then bam! It's done! In all honesty, it's really in the details as my teacher keeps stressing. The white lines in the jacket were painted with gauche as well as the buttons. I wish I would have spent more time on the necklace but by the time I was doing that, I was all ready 2.5 hours in and was over it. Easy process, just time consuming for sure!
For materials, I used Bristol Vellum, watercolors, Prismacolor markers and colored pencils, as well as white gauche.
