It's amazing how the tiniest mark can change the whole look of a character. Those tiny marks can create emotion, change the age of a character or take the life out of them. I feel this is (and probably will be for the rest of my illustration life) one of the greatest challenges in creating characters. Some times it helps to create a clay or Sculpy model of the character. Doodling constantly also helps me get to know them and keep them consistent. As I look back on a previous post, it almost seems like no time has passed seeing that I have similar challenges.
While walking in the woods this morning on the way to my part-time job, walking slow was the way to go. As it's spring here in northern California, all the plants are showing off. I especially love the way the Miners lettuce looks like tall skinny ladies twirling their dresses around. To observe and remember and sketch whenever possible is a great way to get familiar with what's around us. I love how plants make such great subjects. They know how to sit still. Now, little kids, that's another matter. But, also great practice for sketching. It gets easier and easier as one does it. I love to hear what other people love to sketch.
I've been thinking of how everything has an anatomy and when it finally sunk in my little brain, it opened up a whole new door. For instance, painting or drawing waves was always a bit difficult. Realizing how each wave basically curls the same (depending on weather, etc.), the way they roll and foam and the way the light hits, under and over the wave... Not sure if I'm explaining this the best, but if we study the nuances of the waves (or anything else for that matter), one can start seeing a pattern.
To sum up, most things make sense, when given the consideration.
