Draw Anything: Digital Neon Billboard Water Fountain

This illustration was created from an old lion-head gargoyle

water fountain photo. The process photos are too long, and I am 

unable to remember enough to share process details,

the progression photos will have to do this time. 

Everything, except for the grid lines were drawn with free-hand sketching,

ruler used for billboard pixel squares. The idea to not 

go about this design as the photo presented the old 

lion-head gargoyle with water streaming down kept

changing due to my free-hand approach as well as

the subject matter looked weird in different areas.

Not using a ruler definitely presented its challenges

as I battled with the design for many hours yesterday 

early morning. My initial thought was to illustrate the

same subject matter in the photo with flat colors, except

my drawing would give a fresh/restored design to the fountain.

Once I looked at the water fountain head figure, its structure

gave me the thought of how geometric shapes are used

to create portraits with other style choice, so I was

thinking that would be cool to create as well as it

would help to breakdown each part of the head's

features in a creative way. 

Therefore, the free-hand challenge to add features

with some geometric shapes took me through its 

unorthodox course. Surprisingly and fortunately, 

my design of the geometric shaped lion's head

looked decent and orderly for the most part to me.

I do not necessarily recommend free-hand sketching

of all geometric types of shapes without a ruler,

except that does not mean it is impossible to do

or is not a capable challenge for anyone who would

like to take that course for whatever reason. Let

my design be one of possibly many as a testimony 

to that approach and not an act of perfectionism either.

Decency and somewhat order are all I sought with 

my attempts that resulted in much erasing as I am

one of those artists that can struggle to produce one

part of a design to look similar on the opposite side.

If each side looks about right to me, I let it be. Sometimes,

I have to catch myself from being a perfectionist, 

because I am used to training myself from references

to draw as much of the subject matter's features as possible.

If I can do that much, drawing or designing the same thing

again, for myself would be something already learned.

There is a bug in that approach, even though I have done

that for a long time.

Besides that, the idea for this illustration changed

as the process moved towards the completions stage,

because there was much to think about for coloring

as well as what would be done without room for the 

circle featured in the reference photo.

With long thinking, water feature got changed to

flames and neon glow came to mind to somewhat 

change the theme of the design. I had to make up

for other processes that could not follow the reference, 

which stirred me towards a digital feature being added.

The lion's head can be considered as a 3-D digital hologram

or actual solid figure that can still act as a water fountain

with the digital billboard feature in the behind it would

be attached to. Bottom neon area is actually a solid

object, even though it can still glow too.

Hopefully, viewers

can acknowledge the idea with my chosen style choices,

there were no expectations of exact symmetry, I naturally

worked through the idea process and you gain inspiration overall.

My name for this illustration is "LION'S DEN MEDIA".

I could talk more about what into this illustration,

even though I am going to let everyone get to the 

examination part now.

NOTE: Photos were sent to edit with laptop, 

some edits started turning black. With raw cellphone

photos, these are the pieces of the process. If all the

photos are not easy to see, I will add caption to describe 

as much as possible. The completed illustration is

still usually the main feature, even though I like to 

look at the process images too. Enjoy the art as you can.

Stage 1: Free-hand cross guideline to center lion-head gargoyle figure in pre-made box section

Stage 2: Circle drawn for panel behind lion-head gargoyle figure to help with placement, bottom sketch is structure at the bottom of reference photo (fountain pool border possibly)

Stage 3: Geometric shape sketch for fountain head structure, bottom fountain border sketch is mostly left the same until coloring

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Stage 7

Stage 8

Stage 9 

Stage 10

Stage 11

Stage 12

Stage 13

Stage 14

Stage 15

Stage 16

Stage 17

Stage 18

Stage 19

Stage 20

Stage 21

Stage 22

Stage 23

Stage 24

Stage 25

Stage 26

Stage 27

Stage 28 (Final)

Having to take another photo of this illustration in an upright position, I was able to create a cellphone edit and apply my logo to the image. There were other interesting qualities created from editing, even though I accept this as it features the flames well.

No Edit Photo

[PEXELS REFERENCE]

Draw Anything: Lamp Light At Dusk

 This illustration had more layers than the previous post.

 I tried to stop at different parts of my process 

to capture how the breakdown is happening more. 

Unfortunately, my shadow got featured in most of the photos, 

which made editing somewhat more challenging

to share parts more clearly. The medium I am 

using is not well for editing and scanning without

some other steps to minimize the disrupting qualities.

Overall, I am pleased with the results once again as 

color pencils have their own creative flair to acknowledge,

which everything is as decent and orderly as it will be for me

within this composition.

The chosen reference photo makes me think

of a story that has some kind of cliffhanger or

mystery ending with that lamp being left

on a big rock as the main focus of the photo

and everything else is blurred. Even

my illustration gives me the same thought,

if I would have ended a story with the same flair.

Whether a cliffhanger or To Be Continued ending,

both of them pop (sticks out as favorable/trendy).

NOTE: I am not stamping these illustrations with my logo, 

because they are experimental drawings that have free

references attached to them. If these illustrations were

of my own design or relating to something personally

created for stated reasons, then my logo will be shared. 

I add enough information to state that I drew them

and dated. If these photos help you in any way,

feel free to use them. 

1st Stage: Free sketch to define sections of photo reference, Guideline with shapes for lamp figure

2nd Stage: Start defining the structure of the lamp, Erasing the guideline figure sketch as you continue

3rd Stage: Fully define the minimal design of the lamp, Erase as many unused guidelines for lamp

4th Stage: Black color pencil used for outlining lamp design, Outline other composition subject matter lightly due to blurring in reference, Big rock is partly foreground focused with outline edges that can be wobbly as well as solid/darker (if preferred) for natural design effects

5th Stage: Light color pencil blending colors are added (clouds, sunset glow, clear spaces in sky, land shore/shore shadow on water), Not too much focus is given to the subject matter that will be blurred with blending later, Increase zoom to see blurred color layers (if preferred)

6th Stage: Coloring the lamp with minimal flat colors, Orange glow effect is given to certain parts of the lamp's coloring, Some colors will not fit in their spaces well (that is okay, unless you create a big enough space or are using tools that work differently than color pencils), Be mindful of the tools you are using as well as what qualities they can produce

7th Stage: Color pencils used for big rock, Light effect from the lamp is applied to some rock areas, Some shadowy areas on the big rock were added too

8th Stage: Light color pencil shading for the water to blend later, Lake is blurred subject matter that will have shades of colors added like the approach to the other blurred areas of the reference photo

9th Stage: Color pencil used for ground area for big rock land and shore

10th Stage (Final): Blending Stump is used on blurry areas and smoothness of big rock, Cellphone editing for quality

Photo of completed illustration without cellphone editing

[PEXELS REFERENCE]

Draw Anything: Hen Looking Down

When I look at the hen in the reference photo, her pose makes me think 

she is checking under her foot as if to have stepped in something. 

That is what I name this illustration, "Hen: Did I Step In Something?"

This illustration posed a different challenge due to the feather pattern, 

feather sections, and breakdown of pose. 

I did not know how filling the body space with feathers 

would look at the end, except the results surprised 

me of how well everything came together.

Since I could not outline the body, all of that extra space to give feathers

definition over the body was something I had to account for to 

put the finishing touches together well.

1st Stage: Light Sketch Figure Guidelines 

2nd Stage: Light Sketch Of Figure's Structure, Feather Section Guidelines  

3rd Stage: Erase Previous Sketch Guidelines, Leave Feather Guideline Layout, Some Refining Of Figure's Body Guidelines/Shape

4th Stage: Defining Figure's Structure, Refining Figure's Features

5th Stage (Final): Much Refining Of Figure's Features, Using Color Pencils To Create Feather Patterns & Direction Position, Adding Leg & Feet Scaling With Color Pencil, Erasing Leftover Feather Guidelines, White Color Pencil Used For White Feather Pattern Area & Blend Motion Effect With Black Feather Pattern, Blender Stump Used To Create More Feather Blur Effect & Increase Overall Smoothness Of All Areas Colored, Cellphone Edit For Quality

Cellphone Photo Without Quality Editing

[PEXELS REFERENCE]

Draw Anything: Brown Squirrel

Hi viewers. 

Hoping everyone is well as you can be, and 

your new year is filled with a treasure quest of creativity. 

Let me jump straight into what this post will introduce with everyone. This series of post titled "Draw Anything" will be featured in a labeled area called "My Style Test". You can view this for your pleasure or something to help you improve as a creator.

Since I already know what quality of art I would like to create, art tools chosen, so this is an attempt to practice my style process by converting anything drawn. 

Every illustration may not look like one type of approach to converting chosen subject matter, except I will make an effort to share consistency that you might be able to follow along or approach your style test process with the same references. 

This is only my one way of practice, no expectation of anyone to mimic my process. Take what is shown as a steppingstone towards what you can produce artistically for your own learning curve goals to improvement. Think about your chosen art aesthetic qualities, flow with your design process, color the way you color, and see the creator you would like to be with the results.

I believe if you become too critical or critique your progress based on what you envision without acknowledging your chosen perspective of the converted idea or subject matter, that will make your learning process more challenging to accept or agree with. 

If you are working towards that vision, you will eventually get to where you are going, so keep questing to complete that goal. I am on that path too, because my chosen art aesthetics are varied (About 4 or 5 types I would like to incorporate in the quality of my art - together, mix and match, or single choice). 

With all of that being shared, chosen art being shared will be free use content, and I will do what I can to not post anything copyright. If you are searching for free use reference photos, I found "Pexels" website to be useful, at the moment. Thanks goes to those who made their photo content useable as free references.

Life is being what the Creator wants for me, so the rollercoaster ride continues. Keep the faith, walk by the spirit, for those who believe as long-suffering is part of the process of his mysterious works. 🙏✝️👼

Let us begin the experimenting. 🥼 🔬 🧪

1st Stage: Free Sketch Figure Layout

2nd Stage: Light Figure Structure Added, Tail Guideline Changed, Refining Sketch Layer

3rd Stage: Refining Figure Structure, Erased Most Sketch Layer, Figure Features Sketch Added

4th Stage (Final): Color Pencil Coloring, Blending Stump Used, Tail Guideline Erased, No Background/Additional Content Added, Cellphone Photo Editing For Better Quality

Cellphone Photo Without Editing Final Stage

[PEXEL - BROWN SQUIRREL REFERENCE]