Sketchbook: Cast Portrait Final
Sketch N' Wash pencils on Bristol board
So last week, I showed you this drawing in its early stages. After getting those rough pencils down, I do what I call "ghosting" the image. I press a kneaded eraser gently over all the pencil areas and lift up about 50-75% of the graphite, leaving a faded under-drawing.
I then draw with Sketch N' Wash pencils over the ghosted pencils, and get a very small amount of water on a brush. Brushing water over SNW pencils gives them a quality much like ink. The lines darken and their grainy quality becomes smooth. Using a flatter, wider brush, I create wash-like effects for shading. When I'm satisfied with the SNW layer, I use an ebony pencil, which is harder and darker, to do the final outlines and detail.
This is still a bit rougher than I'd draw a finished strip, since I drew it to test fonts, but as a first-time all-cast portrait, I think it's not too bad.
Click image for larger view.