FIRST: Listen for my son's song (@AndrewBelle) "The Ladder" on TV show "Vampire Diaries" this Thursday (9/16) 7pm Central time on the CW station!!
To view the Reference photo and the STEP SCANS go here: [link] I also made numerous comments and explainations there too
I purposely did NOT make the background PITCH black, b/c I wanted his black coat to show a little? So I used an HB and rubbed hard, sideways, then went over it with a blending stump, then a cotton round (used for make-up, etc)
Don’t forget to see my ever growing DRAWING TIP GUIDE [link]
I swore I would never draw this guy! (HA) 1) Mainly because I have always viewed him as a teenage girl’s idol? 2) He is also WAY over-drawn by people?!?
But, after all, it's the PHOTO that always inspires me to draw, NOT the person. When you find both, it's heaven! The reference photo has a great range of contrast, and fantastic tonal values! It was also high res, so I can see all the details. For me, I can’t draw details I can’t see.
The DRAWING is only 5 x 7 INCHES, so the face is even smaller. I enlarged the scans so you can see the details. One of the main reasons I draw so small, is because it saves time! How do you think I draw so many portraits?!? Read my Journal entry on SIZING your drawings here: