HerLocksDiVine - a step by step

**Tornado Joe** · 10-17-2005 09:35 PM

Well all, I'm excited to say that I finally got my butt back to the drawing board - litteraly. Last week I went back up into my loft and started shuffling through some drawings I had, and this one I did a year or so ago caught my attention. I suddenly got the urge to clean it up and include it as part of my trybe series.

Since the last one I did was so well received by you all here on DV, I thought I'd post a little "step-by-step" on how I go about creating one of these suckers (add some educational value

<-- Bob Ross! )

For now I'm calling it Her Locks DiVine, but it's just a working title. I want the name to somehow relate to the womans hair (made of vines) and the obvious embrace of the two subjects.

STEP 1: the concept and drawing.

First I get a sketch together (obviously). Clean up the details as much as I can. If I feel like it, I'll go in and work out some of the light and shadows. I then make a clean line drawing of the piece and transfer it onto illustration board by using a home-made transfer sheet (just a bunch of graphite and charcoal smudged on the back of a sheet of paper).

STEP 2: underpainting.

Once the image is transfered onto the board I'm ready to get down and dirty... sort of. I take a specific color and brand of watercolor (my little secret) I go in and lay in the darks and lights - but not going darker than about 40% gray for the darkest spots. Just enough to see how the whole thing might come together in the end.

STEP 3: final rendering.

Now that I got the whole piece figured out, I get out my gouache paints and start on the final rendering. Pretty much at this point it's a bit like painting with numbers: I already know which areas need to be darker and lighter so I just go back in and paint over those areas. I'll also start playing around with textures and techniques needed to achieve them. You'll notice that I started on the background - this is because I've found that once I finish the main part of a painting, I tend to put much less effort into the background since I get too anxious to end up with a finished product. This way I'm kinda like saving the best for last.

That's pretty much where I am at this point (10/17/2005). I'll try to put up at least two more shots before it is finished.

**Ynot** · 10-17-2005 09:55 PM

That's superb

what other stuff you done?

**Tornado Joe** · 10-17-2005 10:00 PM

Originally posted by Ynot
what other stuff you done?

GripHerInPull

Thanks!

**Oneironaut Zero** · 10-18-2005 12:44 AM

Outstanding work, yo.

Keep doin what you're doin.

But you might want to change the date.

**nina** · 10-18-2005 01:43 AM

That's hot.

**OpheliaBlue** · 10-18-2005 03:12 PM

That's gonna be gorgeous Joe.

I love how her hair is looking, especially in the 3rd one. It does have a kind of fly away plant thing happening. Almost looks like one of those swiss cheese philodendron leaves.

So you like, draw cool, do music, and can play on words....is there anything you CAN'T do?

**Tornado Joe** · 10-18-2005 03:38 PM

So you like, draw cool, do music, and can play on words....is there anything you CAN'T do?[/b]

Get laid, apparently.....

Hey! Maybe it's because I'm spending too much time doing all these other things

Wooh, I love plants! (I'm not a flower person myself). I just don't know them by name. I saw a lot of them when I lived in South America. Maybe I'll render a couple of those in the final.

thanks!

**OpheliaBlue** · 10-18-2005 05:27 PM

You lived in South America?

Woah when was that? And what country? What where you doing there? When what where how why wherefore etc?

**Tornado Joe** · 10-24-2005 03:50 AM

Ok, it's the end of weekend #3 -
I didn't really accomplish a whole lot, but some progress was made. Still working primarily on the background (how ya liking them mutated philodendron thingies, Ophiel!).

I'll likely work on the "hair" and bottom rocks next. Still saving the figures for last (kinda reminds me of how I used to save all the crunch berries in my Captn' Crunch Crunch Berries cereal and ate them last!)

**irishcream** · 10-27-2005 06:39 PM

Holy cow...i really must get back into drawing...
I used to do a lot of tonal work in my last year at secondary school, but nowhere near as good as that...
Have you heard of a guy called MC Escher? I did some research on him years ago, but i've never forgotten him...
Where do i start, if i want to go back to drawing again? I'm sure i've lost all sense of perspective where that is concerned...

Great picture though...reminds me of a thing or two...

**Tornado Joe** · 10-28-2005 02:59 PM

Originally posted by ICream
Where do i start, if i want to go back to drawing again?

1) Desire (which you already seem to have)
2) Sketchbook (9x12 or larger - about 80-100lb. paper)
3) Drawing tools (Pencils, charcoal, kneaded eraser, etc)
4) Time

If there is an art school in your area, find out about pay-as-you-go life drawing classes. I'm currently going to one that's once a week $15 - you gotta be 18 or over (of course, nude model).

Have fun!

**InTheMoment** · 10-28-2005 04:32 PM

Originally posted by Tornado Joe

If there is an art school in your area, find out about pay-as-you-go life drawing classes. I'm currently going to one that's once a week $15 - you gotta be 18 or over (of course, nude model).

How much for a "happy ending?"

**Tornado Joe** · 10-28-2005 07:27 PM

Originally posted by horny dog
How much for a \"happy ending?\"

LOL

Boy....you're not the type to inspect your fruit before purchasing it, are ya? I'll just say the term "model" is used loosley.

**irishcream** · 10-29-2005 02:48 PM

Originally posted by Tornado Joe

1) Desire (which you already seem to have)
2) Sketchbook (9x12 or larger - about 80-100lb. paper)
3) Drawing tools (Pencils, charcoal, kneaded eraser, etc)
4) Time

If there is an art school in your area, find out about pay-as-you-go life drawing classes. I'm currently going to one that's once a week $15 - you gotta be 18 or over (of course, nude model).

Have fun!

I think i am going to definitely go back into it...i remember when i was in art class, drawing something...it's like i'd get lost in it, and time would just disappear...unfortunately, with not having a scanner, i'm not going to be able to post it...

**Tornado Joe** · 10-29-2005 03:39 PM

Originally posted by ICream
unfortunately, with not having a scanner, i'm not going to be able to post it..

A digital camera should suffice - that's what I'm using here.

**irishcream** · 10-29-2005 06:55 PM

Ah, i'll have to try that...but i warn you, my drawings might not be that good!

**Tornado Joe** · 11-06-2005 08:33 AM

Alrightie then, I finally got my butt back to the art board and put some more time into the piece. Man, these photos I'm taking are actually horrible - what you're seeing is the touched up versions too! I need to figure out what the deal is with my camera. The color is a bit off and the image is way too contrasty compared to the original piece.

Anyway, I got the bottom and the "vines" worked out. I think the bottom is pretty much done, I'll likely go back and touch up the vines at some point.

The fun part is next..... the figures! Wohoo!

**OpheliaBlue** · 11-06-2005 03:40 PM

sweet Joe

I like the detail on that craggy area they're standing on

you know, one day we should go get matching body tattoos like that (REAL ones, not magic marker cacti

)

**Tornado Joe** · 11-07-2005 04:14 PM

]you know, one day we should go get matching body tattoos like that (REAL ones, not magic marker cacti )[/b]

Sounds like an offer -- I do have some semi-permanent body paint, an airbrush and a compressor up in my studio

Tornado Joe recalls scenes from the movie "Tattoo" ......

**Tornado Joe** · 12-01-2005 03:47 AM

Yep, it's been a while since I last updated this, but I wanted to make sure I had enough done for you all to see a difference. I was hoping to get the whole female figure done, but whatever - still a work in progress anyway.

Still having problems getting a non-contrasty image, but I'll just get a good quality pic (and larger one) for the final.

**irishcream** · 12-01-2005 10:28 AM

Hey, that's coming along nicely!
My drawing has crashed to a halt, i'm too busy at the moment!

**OpheliaBlue** · 12-01-2005 03:29 PM

sweeeeeeeet

I'm just still so in love with those leaves

hey when you post the final, will it be bigger? I wanna see all the detail

**Tornado Joe** · 01-01-2006 04:57 PM

Woohoo! Happy New Year all !!

And what a great way to start the new year, HerLocksDiVine is completed!

I'll probably end up going back and putting in a few touch ups before I title and sign it, but it's pretty much ready to "unveil" now. Enjoy!

HerLocksDiVine - final:

Detail:

:happygolucky: