Sketch Diary: Relaxed mohawk portrait - in color

This was my first adventure back into Copic markers in a good long while so there was alot of just playing around going on. Mainly, I just wanted to focus on skin blending and shading. I just wish I had put more color variations into the highlights and shadows of the hair. Had to do the skin in one session and the hair in another cuz it was taking so long. I forgot how long it can take to lay down color and blend everything over and over again. I definitely overworked some areas of the page. Just don't look too closely lol. Also, why can't I get my scanner to not be weird about scanning marker?? You can see in the second photo how much smoother and richer the colors are but the scanner... I guess I need to mess with the settings more. Or else marker pieces will just have to be photographed only, no scanning.

Watch me draw this here:

6x speed

1x speed

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Inktober Day 23 - Pink cloudy hair

Another quick ink drawing, freehand (no sketching in pencil). And the pink is ink as well, not watercolor. I like how it turned out. Twas fun.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Sitting on a ledge in color

Played with colors here. I like the skin. Fabric looks ok from a distance but I didn't get the smoothness like I wanted. Hair just fell flat. I don't have many purples. This was on thin paper so I couldn't rework the colors or overlay much at all without ruining the paper. Ah well. Still fun.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Fin-tastic mermaid in color

Wooooo now we're talking. This was sketched on slightly better paper and it was a definite difference. I was worried at the time that my color choices were too safe, too boring. But I'm feeling it. It's a little weird but it feels right for what I was going for when I originally sketched her. A 'go with yer gut' thing that turned out well.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: Colored - Portrait of a girl in my mind

And POOF just like that, it's colored in. I was trying out a couple different techniques and such on this so I'm relatively pleased with how it turned out. Skin is still a bit... blotchy. But that's what happens when I use cheap copy paper hah. Maybe I'll call her Cotton Candy Girl.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: TBT - Pink haired girl

Thought the odd proportions are becoming more glaring as time rolls on, I still really like this. I had (have?) no clue what I was doing with my watercolors. No training, no practice - this WAS the practice hah. This piece taught me a lot. Still feels soft and warm to me and I feel happy when I look at it. Isn't that the point?

with love - M

Sketch Diary: TBT - Pink haired centaur girl

Throwback to 2011 - lots of random marker practice pieces that year. I still love this drawing, not exactly sure why... there are a lot of things I would fix (if I was into that sort of thing hah) like the skinny arm in front, the odd shoulders, the 'thighs' are too small for my taste, and that hand. Obviously, I had such a hard time with the one hand, I had to hide the other! But with all that, I still like her look. Looking inside of herself, seeing without sight. And pink hair?! I mean who doesn't love pink hair?

with love - M

Sketch Diary: TBT - Marker madness with pink hair

A lovely little throwback marker piece from 2011. I loved doing this piece. I remember it vividly. Sketching it out during my free time at the Jr. high school in Japan. Inking it and coloring it in my tiny but cozy apartment many months later. I remember the teachers that would stop by to watch while I sketched seemed to really like this one. One teacher even drew her own quick version of it as a gift for me. I was so flattered (and her drawing was adorable, to boot!).  There are just a lot of fond memories that come back to me when I see this drawing... I need to stop looking at job boards in Japan. This is not okay haha. Per usual, I used Copic markers for color and white acrylic paint for the little highlights.

with love - M

Sketch Diary: TBT - parkour angel

A throwback to 2011 here. Though there are many things off in this little piece, I like this piece more now than I did before. Something about the pose and the color of the figure, just looks like a fun character.

With love - M

Sketch Diary: TBT - Faeriecon memories

Things have been super busy so I guess it's time for another TBT! This little beauty is from 2010 though I might not have colored it until 2011, I can't remember. I sketched it out during Faeriecon 2010 and even though the proportions are off and the eyes are set too high, I still really like this piece. Comparing this to more recent marker pieces, it's cool to see how my technique has changed. Going back to review these pieces really helps inspire to keep drawing. When I get really busy, I need that pretty hardcore.

And Happy Turkey Day!

with love - M

Sketch Diary: puff pants archer

Ready for some TBT (Throw Back Thursday)?! This was sketched and colored way back when I was in Japan. Just a quickie. But to be honest... at the time, I truly hated this piece. I mean loathed it. Loathed it so much I didn't color anything for a months and months afterwards. I buried it away in my sketch pile and forgot about it until recently.

Sure, it will never be a favorite of mine - now it's old and I can see the faults pretty clearly. But there's something about it I enjoy now. Maybe it's the memories it brings back. Maybe it's the strength and power in the pose (as compared to my other sketches which are usually so curvy, sensual). And I love the pink to yellow hair combo.

Anyway, anyone else out there that has work they hated years ago, I hope you're able to look back now and appreciate it for what it is and what it can give back to you now.

with love - M