Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 20

View halloo, peoples!


Day 20 of the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day Project now posted!!


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A little long-winded background before we get to today's offering... this was prompted by a discussion on Twitter last night with some friends, and it became something of a personal challenge.

So, I dropped the fantasy illustration possible-fodder-for-future-finished-projects approach and got to work on a small portrait.

While working on this, I realized a lot of the initial shading was cross-hatching, not something I do very often. The longer I worked on this, the more I wanted it to have a Drew Struzan-type feel. For those that don't know him, Drew Struzan is an incredibly talented artist, probably best well known for the 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' franchise movie posters. The original pencil sketch is done on white drawing paper, scanned into Photoshop, and toned.

All in all, between the pencil sketching (and erasing) and toning in Photoshop, this piece took about 75 minutes.

This project reminds me that my portraiture skills need a LOT of work. This sketch should not have kicked my ass the way it did, but it is always harder for me to draw Real People (as opposed to making stuff up) as I will ALWAYS nitpick and tweak and NEVER be satisfied my rendition is accurate enough. But, that could just be me.

So, I present you: Michael Weatherly (Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on CBS' "NCIS",) looking suave and debonaire. This IS a sketch, or what *I* consider a sketch. (lots of sketching here, take a break, sketch some more, take a break, lather, rinse, repeat.)


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Photo reference was used. The original image is a low-res photograph taken from the Paris photoshoot edition of CBSWatch! Magazine. Unfortunately, I do not know when this shoot took place, nor do I know the photographer's name. If one of you does, please let me know, so I can credit the photographer.

Photo reference: LINKED HERE


Should Mr. Weatherly ever actually see this himself, I do hope he will take it in the spirit in which it was intended: both an exercise in portraiture, and a tribute to him as an actor and the wonderfully entertaining and dynamic character he has brought to life in Very Special Agent DiNozzo.

(And then I will need someone to Gibbs-slap me from my fan-induced stupor.)

Ok, that's enough of my babble!



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