Step by Step
Step 1
After I have laid out the basic sketch on my Strathmore Bristol illustration paper I like to concentrate first on the face, which as a portrait artist is always the focal point of my illustrations. I want to feel some kind of accomplishment by the time I'm done with my first session. This means that at least the eyes and the mouth (which are my focal points on the face) have to already have that realistic look. I apply a light layer over the drawing using an HB or F pencil and I make sure that some of my darks are established: like in the pupil of the eyes (with its corresponding highlight, of course); the corner on each side of the mouth; some parts of the hair; and the area around the neck where there's always a contrast that separates the hair from the face--this will move the face forward and create depth. Naturally, I have to make sure that all my proportions are relatively accurate before I lay down my darks as I know that they will be difficult to remove afterward.
Step2
I continue to pay attention to the face and start adding some shades and values.
At this point I try to establish that "spot light" effect where the
brightest highlight will be on the forehead. The only other parts of the face
where you will find noticeable highlights will be on the tip of the nose, cheeks
and less intense on the lips and chin. The chin will have the lowest highlight;
however you do have to suggest some kind of light shining through. Also, at this
point I like to add some "color" to the drawing by slightly increasing
the values on the nose and the lips; this will make the face have that
"blushed" look. I try to define the shape of the hair by adding more
values and pulling down some strands over the face so the hair doesn't look
"perfect". Many artists make a mistake by making the hair too nice and
neat when this is really not true. Nobody's hair is perfect.
Step3
For this particular project it was required that the girl wear eye-glasses so after I made sure that all my proportions on the face were in balance I went ahead and added the glasses. This is something that I like to leave towards the end because it could throw off the proportions if I add it too early. I made a couple of more adjustments on the face by making the nose a little bit narrower and less puffy, and giving her a more seductive smile by showing a hint of her teeth; just like the white of the eyes, I don't want to make this too bright that it jumps out at you. Some artists like to over expose these areas so much that they look fake. Obviously, I'm taking the freedom to go and change the features as much as I please because this is not a commissioned job where the illustration has to look like the subject. I'm just using my reference as a starting point and basically creating my own subject the way I want it to look.
Step4
Slowly I have added multiple layers of graphite all over the illustration to intensify my dark values and make those highlights stand out a little more. This is the time where I have good use of my kneaded eraser as I need it to pick up some of the highlights. However, highlights are not necessarily created by picking up graphite; sometimes I just make the area around the intended highlight darker: I draw a light circle and add darker values around it. I also made the hair relatively darker to create a nice contrast against the face and neck. As usual I like to accessorize the pretty face with earrings, necklaces or hair clips, so I added an earring and worked a little more on the necklace. At this point I treat the drawing as an oil or pastel painting where I work from dark to light. I'm concentrating more on the body now as I feel comfortable with the way the face came out and I know that I won't make much more changes to it (I have to force myself sometimes to stop working on the face because I just love drawing them). At this point I think I have a pretty good shape on the breasts but I'm not adding the nipples yet, not until I'm sure that I have the correct values and the right form.
Step5
I added the nipples after I was comfortable with the shape of her breasts. Sometimes when I go through the process of drawing the breasts I wonder which way a girl looks better, with or without nipples… It's nice to just see two beautiful mounds of soft flesh with nothing in the way to interfere its smooth round form. Anyway, I added a little more definition and shape to the rest of her body like the tummy and the arms. Many would think that I'm pretty much done at this point, but the fact is that there's substantially a lot more to work on. It doesn't look "solid". I'm still seeing the white of the paper. If I want the drawing to possess that "realistic" look then I have to make sure that I cover every area with graphite. You will notice a rather big difference with the next step.
Step 6
I go with my very sharp HB or F pencil and keep building layer over layer and at the same time defining subtle shapes and forms. I gradually keep darkening the values of some of the edges with my B pencil to ensure space and depth, like on the waist and the arms. We have to remember that dark values recede the object, light values moves it forward. Of course, I have to give the girl a nice tan line in order to accentuate the shape of her beautiful breasts and I do this with the help of my favorite drawing tool, the kneaded eraser. Again, I have to force myself to stop as I could go on for ever. There's always something to add or stuff that I have overlooked. To finalize the drawing I sometimes just go around inserting birth marks and freckles which really add a little more realism to the picture.
