10.29.12 Process...

Hey there!
I've had another very productive week, which is fabulous!
  This week I had the urge to make this image of Rapunzel/Rampien, whatever you want to call her.  Off and on--mostly off-- I've been illustrating images from fairy tales.  Since I grew up reading Grimm's and Hans Christian Anderson, I have a lot of those images in my head--this one really wanted to come out so I said, Fine! Let's DO this.
  I decided, this week, to focus on showing you my process so I actually saved this piece at crucial points in to show you step-by-step how I work.  I could go a lot into Northern and Southern Italian Renaissance Painting styles here but I won't because I talk about art history too much.  I'll just say this about my process: I am a planner and by the time I actually start drawing the final image, I've drawn that image at least 3-5 times before. Sometimes more....so many times more--but the more often you draw something, the better and faster you do it!  Just like the Northern Italian Renaissance Painters, by the time my "brush" hits the "Canvas" I know where everything will go and what it will look like when it is finished.
  Here is an idea of what I'm talking about:

This is the original sketch in my sketchbook.  It's a small thumbnail, only about 3 inches by 2 inches. Sometimes these are so small and scribbly that I'm the only one who can tell what is going on. I liked this image so I decided to move forward with it.

The next thing I did was blow the sketch up and use it as a guide to draw this "study".  I usually don't clean my lines up much more than this unless it is something very intricate.  I like to think of the inked lines as the "muscular structure," if you will, and this study-drawing as more of a "skeleton," I suppose.  That would make the final top-image, the "skin," of course.

After I've moved past the sketching/planning phase of the process, I begin the execution part of the process.  To me, these next few steps here are pretty brainless because all of the planning is already done, I can basically go into auto-pilot from this point on--until I get to the more detailed coloring, of course.  Here's the next couple of steps:

These are the final inked lines.  I decided to be very minimal with the lines, as far as difference in thickness, and let the color do all the work  in creating depth.  In the end you won't really be seeing these lines all that much.  But I love the hair!  Love it!!

Here's the part right before I start coloring the black lines.  I'm sure you agree that these blacks lines are harsh and flattening.  Ugh.  Gotta get rid of that....

So that's the end of the part where I don't have to think.  From this point on is like painting only without have to make a huge mess and spend all day mixing paint to get the shade just right.  Digital painting is vastly superior to the real thing: cleaner, faster, brighter, more forgiving--less wasteful, too!!! It's the whole package, really.  Well, here is the final image (or about 98% final, anyway..)

I love this image.  It's exactly what I saw in my head--so much so it's uncanny.  

I spent a ridiculously long time on that hair.  I'm not going to tell you how long, but there was definitely a point when I asked myself if this was it?  am I going to quit?  Then I said NO--I will conquer this hair!!  And then I did, end of story.
   There is a ton-A TON-of symbolism in this image.  I would tell you what it all means, but that would ruin the mystery for you, wouldn't it?  If you look and and pay attention I'm sure you'll at least pick up on 1 or 2 of the hidden messages.
  Well, I hope you've enjoyed this peak into my process.  I enjoy ..... processing?  hmmm, that sounds a little weird.  Well, I'm off to go "process" another thing into this world.  My work just.....SIGH...it never ends.
 (I wouldn't like it any other way, though!)
Thanks for visiting!
See you next week
--Beckaroooooo!