For the fishes, and a new PROCESS post!

"For the Fishes"
2013 Digital and Graphite.

So alot has happened since I last posted. Sorry bout the lack of posts. I can say confidently that it is not due to lack of content. As you can see above I've made alot of breakthroughs, not to mention I got a promotion at work, attended Spectrum Live 2, and watched "Up on Poppy Hill" directed by Hayao Miyaki's son (Goro Miyazaki)....so Yah. I've just been extra busy and slowly adjusting to my new illustration time starting at 3am.

So out of everything I could talk about, it is going to be on the NEW process I developed for the illustration above.

New Illustration Process:

To start off I want to mention briefly that Spectrum Live 2 was just as spectacular as last year. In fact I actually enjoyed it more because I knew what to expect and found myself talking "Shop" with everyone about everything. From inking, to type of paints, to helpful tidbits for Sculpey...I could go on.

  Now this actually leads to the new process. As you can imagine I talked to alot of illustrators at Spectrum, ironically the one tidbit that  I havn't been able to get off my mind is from last year. Master illustrator Scott Gustafson was there and I spent a considerable amount of time looking over his original drawings and paintings. While looking I asked many questions which one eventually led him to say, "I spent years and years fussing over value, and wasting time building it up, but recenlty I've learned to just punch it in" (Of course I'm paraphrasing).  

I've looked back on that conversation during MANY drawings and illustrations wishing I could counter his statement with, "Well that's because you've had years and years of experience. Illustrators like me can't just THROW the value in. I HAVE to do everything gradually...slowly bulidng up to my final line, or color, shape, value, etc. "  At this point, I can see experience helps, but it also ALOT about confidence. Just make the decision and boldly throw value in...

 Long story short, this realization resulted in the below process.

(Click on images to see large)

Conceptually sketch using the two colors above to slowly "clear the fog"

Utilizing shapes and lines, go back and forth building structure

Punch in the DARKS.

PUnch in the lights.

Add color to the highlights

Brighten and add color to the shadows (layer set on Soft LIght)

Birghten composition to get rid of all black.

Resutrate composition with local color.

Add highlights (layer set on overlay)

Do everything and anything to make the composition work and come together.