Starting to replace pen lines with digital lines

I used the Wacom tablet to trace some hair and face contours, in preparation for parting with the scan layer. I turned off the scan layer to see how I was doing, and was very pleased with the airy look in the hair. I feel reluctant to tighten this up much more. In the fantasy art market, work is usually very tightly rendered and finished...I'll probably hurt my marketability by staying this loose. Well, the beauty of digital work is that as I cover the loose undersketch with tighter layers, I can still keep the loose version as a separate file. Even though I'll probably tighten this up a lot more, I definitely want to preserve the flowing, strokey feel of this early stage.

I listened to songs by Carl Peterson and Marc Gunn while working on the above image. If you want to preview or buy what I listened to on iTunes, use the song information in the screencap. "My Titania" captures the essence of gothic, haunted, musty beauty ... like stumbling across Great-grandmother's forgotten music box in an attic. "Mary Ann" contains lyrical guitar phrases that are sweet and heart-twisting. This song created a sense of bliss for me as I traced the outlines of this character's face and hair. She may be a demon, but she still has a soul.

Here's an example of a tightly rendered, finished product. (Although by fantasy art standards, this still has many "unfinished" areas.) My original intent was to paint the "lounging demon" in the same style as below...but we'll see what happens as the demon painting evolves.

I couldn't work long on this tonight because of freelance work, housework, and general wasting of time.  I can't promise much for tomorrow...I'm probably going to go to a figure drawing session tomorrow evening. 

Lounging Demon - first touches of color

click to enlarge

The lines are all lowered in opacity so I can see what I'm doing when I color. I'll more than likely delete the scan lines as I build up detail. There's an overall dusky-pink tint that came about when I was turning on and off different experimental color layers. I decided to keep the tint and start laying color over, much like painting in oil on a canvas tinted with a wash. On the hair I keep referring to the original sketch scan so that I maintain my values (painterly term for contrast).

Lounging Demon - starting point

I do graphic design and illustration for a living. One of the benefits of this work is that it causes this enormous tension to build up...I start craving to do my own artwork instead of someone else's all the time. Therefore, while files save or upload to FTP, or while I'm otherwise waiting on my slow computer, I vent this tension by scribbling out doodles. On particularly manic days I get doodles that I can imagine as finished pieces...here is one of them:

After scanning, I finished out the bottom of the drawing with my Wacom tablet. (click to enlarge)

I love the concept of a demon-faun chilling on the couch...she's just like anyone else. I'm not sure what her upraised hand is doing. Maybe she's eating something.

I have already completed a rough stage of coloring, but I'm not ready to show it yet...you'll have to wait!

Pastel Fairy Series - 2008

This is a series of fairies drawn in 2008, with some touch up 2009-2010. They originated as pencil sketches, which I traced in Illustrator, then finished up in Photoshop. This group has mostly spring-ish pastel hues, such as pinks, yellows, and greens.

Intro

I have been a fan of fantasy art ever since I was a six-year-old lover of dragons, unicorns, and My Little Pony.

Now I still love magical reptiles and equines, and I've also added fairies, elves, fauns, and demons to my pantheon. I'll refer to this general category of magical beings as "mythicals." My style is usually playful, light-hearted anime. I don't do armor, big muscles, or horror, but a little darkness never hurts.

Now for more kid pics...here I am, age 8, with my awesome turquoise and white dragon. I put a smoke bomb in his mouth to create the fire-breathing effect.

I do a demo for my brother and sister. I have to coach them in coolness.