I cannot stress enough, how fulfilling it is to be able to work on my sketchbook again…
This page, although not by design, is a culmination of the last couple of weeks. I see glimmers of my brief time in New York city, being at the Metropolitan Museum, and recent conversations with Yvonne.
On a side note, I am currently working on my website dexmission.com. I’m kinda bit rusty with the HTML and the Flash but it’s all trickling in drop by drop. The site should be up on happy hearts day :)
I’ve received a couple of questions on how I go about working on my illustrations so I decided to write a brief summery on the topic. Please note that there are many professionals that work in a similar fashion, and there are also many others that work completely different. There is no right or wrong, just personal preferences.
Although each project runs the gamut, the constant factor lies within traditional core foundations. Everything I create begins its life either as a drawing, a painting or both. This then becomes the groundwork for the computer.
On that note, I must insist to point out that there is a certain amount of care involved when working with a computer. There is a fine line that is easily crossed where the computer can become more than a tool, and consume the sincerity and integrity of the work. Many beginners tend to make this mistake, using filters and canned effects to facilitate their needs. Avoid this as much as possible. Also, I highly recommend using a Wacom tablet. If you have the means, an Intuos 3 is an amazing tool; but the Graphire is also a good choice if you want to be more economical. I use a Graphire… (ehh..for now :))
Each one of these portraits were done under 24-hour period. I was given the assignment at 9 a.m. and had until 6 p.m. to finish and upload via FTP to the printer’s server. It was a little nerve racking but it was a good challenge.
Rendering the drawing well is important because it sets the values throughout the process. This allows me to concentrate more on color because the drawing if done correctly keeps the values honest.
The image is scanned and colored in Photoshop. I use stock brushes with the opacity set to 10-50 percent depending on how solid I want the color to be applied. I build up the color slowly but surely, getting more and more opaque as I work until it evolves to my liking (this is very similar to traditional oil painting). I then finish it off Mr. Mike Wallace by tracing specific outlines using a vector program like Illustrator to get the crisp and clean edges.
I got to visit and spend time with my family these past holidays. I witnessed a wedding, got jumped by a bunch of 9 year olds, got some stuff published in Look-look Magazine, ate tons of Pilipino food, sang karaoke for the first time (Freddie Mercury’s "Bohemian Rhapsody" if you have to know…), learned a new magic trick and took a mini-trip to NY city with Yvonne.
I was the designated photographer for my aunt and uncle's wedding. I shot with a 28-200 mm, Nikon D200 with an SB-800.
My family consists of 90% girls. WTF? :)
Yvonne and her new toy. She volunteered to film the event. It was really great of her. She took about 8 hours of footage. Do you know...what it's like...editing 8 hours...of footage?
It’s a Philippine tradition to stab paper money to the bride and groom as they dance. I didn’t know this. But I didn't have any cash so I contemplated pinning my credit card on them, but my aunt beat me to it.
Check out my feet:) I was in such a rush I forgot my shoes in the hotel room. I think that was the Asian island boy in me trying to come out. Hey, I gotta have my chankletas. And umm..that's not really my head...
I cannot stress enough, how fulfilling it is to be able to work on my sketchbook again…
