I sketched this little girl while engaging in some work avoidance activity yesterday. Then, after I completed the work I was avoiding, I couldn't resist creating a journal page with her.
First I sketched her, then filled in the face coloring and details with watersoluble crayons and a black pen. For her hair I first put down a wash of watercolor in black, then added the highlights with stamps and the imprint of bubble wrap painted with black.
For the background I used tissue paper and sheet music from the play West Side Story. I chose sections from the song I Feel Pretty since it seemed to fit the mood of this page best.
Once I was happy with her I decided to add a little more visual interest over the whole page by putting some paint splatters on. I use a carefully placed sheet of paper to cover the face when I do this, since I want the splatters to just go on the background.
The finishing touch is a little word or quote I add to almost all of my pages. The "Amazing you" is from a sticker set I had in my long-neglected scrapbooking stash.
I am having fun sketching faces and trying to improve my skills in this area - I still struggle with eyes and expressions. I am also learning how difficult it is to blend skin tones to achieve the right shade for the ethnicity you're trying to convey. I tend to blend so much that the watercolor paper starts to pill, which can make it even more difficult to get the colors right. It's all a learning process though, and I'm having so much fun along the way.
In case you are also interested in the videos I'm using to learn shading/blending techniques here are just a few on You Tube I've found extremely helpful - even if they do make it look like a piece of cake!
- How to paint skin tones in acrylic part 1
- Tutorial with Copics: 7 different skin colors
- Watercolor techniques: creating flesh tones part 1
Happy painting!
CGM
Have you tried something like Inktense pencils to prevent pilling? Though I suppose you won't know if the skintone is right until you put water on it, which might make it pill.....
ReplyDeleteHi Jaye! Yes I use Inktense, but for a watercolor look I prefer the Neocolor crayons, then add water with a brush. It's because you have to keep layering and "scrubbing" to get the right shading with faces that the pilling happens. I think it's either my paper, or something I have to learn to live with/work around....we'll see!
DeleteI think her eyes look amazing! She has that "a bit sad, but wondering" expression.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Kati!
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