A pencil portrait of KIM HYUN JOONG 3

Greetings.

I have just been bitten by the 'Photo Realism' bug. If I don't do something, I WILL DIE....

Was it Einstein who said that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to see different result" or something like that?

So I have to change for the better, to avoid going nuts!

Some things have to remain the same, however...




...like the tools I use, pencils 2B to 8B, Kneadable eraser and tortilliions...









...and the A3 art card that gave me some problem with my Megan Fox drawing previously, but I thought I should train with it to attain that 'kung fu' to over come any problem, in case I'm accused of being a 'bad workman who blames his tools'.

Besides, the cards came in a pack of 15 pieces and cost me $9...T___T ... some good trees must have died for these, I can't do them such injustice. I'm going to finish them all... nom, nom, nom...






...introducing my tissue box... I'm going to use tissues for blending this time.

Tissues are super blenders and they create that photo smooth tone that I have been craving for lately. One thing is, they take away instead of add on to the tone like tortillions and so I have to shade, blend and re-shade several times before I get the right tone.



...and I'm using some black markers for the background. Oil based markers dry instantly without damaging the surface of the paper. Water based markers dry slowly and wet the paper, if you shade over it before it's completely dried the paper will break.

Be careful with choices.








... and here's the beginning of my next adventure, a rough sketch to position the figure on paper.


















... more guidelines to do the proportions...


















Cleaning up the proportions for the eyes, nose, mouth and chin.

















... and then the hair proportion...


















... finally, the proportion of the neck and clothes. It took me about 45 minutes to complete the proportion this time.














I'm still using the tortillions for shading, but only over smaller or more specific areas, like the eyes, nose and mouth.











... as for the shading of bigger areas like the face, I used tissues to do the job.














... see the smooth blended tone created by tissue shading... I'm very thrilled... >w<

















... I used some tissues on the lips too, together with tortillions.


















... time for the hair, done with tissues too!














I started the touch up with the darker tone pencils like 4B, 6B and 8B a little earlier this time because the background is pitch black and I left it for the last.












...touching up the lips...













... and darkening the hair...














...and now, the background. I shade over the area with a 8B pencil first.













... then I cover the 8B pencil background with black markers. After that, I shade over the marker ink with 8B pencil again to make sure that it is completely covered in black. I never used so much 8B in my life...T___T













...and here we have it... my first attempt at photo realism. Not very successful, but that's why we need this thingy called 'PRACTICE' to make perfect, right?

I'll work on it...








Well, the whole adventure took me about 10 hours. Most of the time was spent on shading and re-shading due to my lack of experience. I think I'm beginning to get the hang of using smooth paper with tissue.

It's fun to explore, as long as it doesn't end up in epic failures that crush my life and put out all lights.

13 more smooth art cards to go!

Hope you like...