Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Character sketches.

Another installment in my illustration back story! Illustration style finally comes together. Ignore the two little boxes I can't get rid of.
Not very good Emily

Better Emily with practice faces at different angles

Baby brother Todd/Ben

Older brother Luke
Dad and Mum

I did a series of portraits of all the family. Some things I started working out at this stage:
  • Eye-shaped eyes don't look as good as just dots and eyebrows. 
  • The shorter the arms and legs are, the younger the child looks.
  • I like drawing feet.
  • I'm trying to make them look messy and casual. It's hard to go against my instinct to make everyone beautiful, but I tried to make the Dad have a bit of a tummy and a receding hairline, the mum look mum-shaped, the kids chubby.
  • I've figured out that I should draw hair in big chunky outlines. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't at all.
  • I have to draw Emily's body first and then draw her dress over the top and then rub out her body.
  • Stripes look really cute. Lots of Bonds-style striped clothing.

4 comments:

apple said...

nice drawings, but they all look a bit sad... (well except for Luke) :(

apple said...

did their family dog just die?

Jessica said...

Oh hah hah!

That's what everyone said at the time. I say if people are just standing there there is no reason to grin like loons.

apple said...

like this: http://faith-theology.blogspot.com/2010/11/on-smiling-and-sadness-twelve-theses.html