ARMAGEDDON part 6

I think it's important for an artist at a con to make sure that you're - if not entertaining, at the very least, watchable. What I mean is that the people who watch you sketch can enjoy watching the drawing appear before them. I've been told that there's something almost magical about watching a picture appear. I've seen some artists go so far at conventions to set up an easel with their back facing the line so that people can watch them draw. I think that's incredibly cool.

What I try and do is at least leave the page flat on the table so people can watch the drawing appear in front of them - upside down (Ms Jane!) at the very least. There's a real tendency to hold the sketchbook on an angle on the edge of the table away from the audience. I only use this pose while doing portraits. I don't like commentary while I draw portraits. It throws me off my game.

Anyway. Onto the sketches:

STEF: Hi Stef. Stef commented on the blog a while back. I also remember her name as I specifically mis-spelled it when I signed it to her. So sorry Stef, but hey - it's a way to make an impression. And no I won't be on LJ, Myspace, Facebook or any other timesink the internet comes up with. This thing is bad enough. =)




HIRO NAKAMURA: A slightly different pose and I decided to go playing around. I wanted something a bit looser after all the portraits that I'd just drawn. I needed something to relax me a bit. Hiro is perfect for this.






LOGAN: This is one of my favourite Wolverine poses. It needs some work, but I like the idea of it. I think I come back to it again later.










PORTRAIT: After Stef's portrait I made the announcement to the line that I wasn't doing any more portraits. This gentleman let out a rebuttal. I told him he could try and plead his case when he got to the front. And plead he did. He needed an illustration for his 21st Birthday invite. Both him and his girlfriend (below) pleaded passionately. So this was my last portrait, and I think it came out a treat. He was really happy with it. I included all these instructions for his girlfriend on the back as to how best to scan it and reproduce it in Photoshop.

WONDERWOMAN: Boy, I don't get to draw her often. She's a tough one. Like Superman, she has so many facets to her character that interest me. But when in doubt - draw grumpy!









WITCHBLADE: Such a visually powerful character that I just don't do justice. I really like the look of the character (especially when they put more clothes on her - I don't mind naked women, but it just didn't wash with me).







ANGEL: As I mentioned, I don't like drawing photos. What's the point of a picture of a photo? I do like Angel, and wouldn't mind another smack at the title. I think I might do a more stylistic one next time.








HIRO NAKAMURA: I'm still playing with him and the sword. After I drew the last one, I wanted the next one to have a little more dynamism. I found the pose a little awkward with the last one.








CLAIRE BENNET: A nice, fun sketch of Claire. It's very important to me to not draw as some skinny stick. I love her figure, it's distinctive, has character and is much healthier for a young woman.






SYLAR: Remember I said I was going to play with the last Sylar sketch? Well black is my friend. Here I tried him with side lighting, and I didn't mind it too much. But it definitely triggered something in my brain. Pencil sketches need black!