Airbrush portrait on canvas of Muhammad Ali.
Read moreArt is Life - Airbrush Sketch.
Things have changed a lot since my last sketch. Nearly everyone's life has been affected in some way by COVID-19. Some parts of life could be changed forever for good or bad. I've noticed more people walking and riding bikes. I've started to appreciate things now that a month ago, I took for granted.
There's art everywhere if you're willing to look through the right lens. I've gone back to the basics with this sketch. When I first committed to learning how to draw portraits, I purchased a course called 'Portrait Drawing - The Complete Online Course’. It's from the website www.VitruvianStudio.com. David Jamieson guides students through the portrait drawing process from beginning to end. I’ve watched this course several times and learned something new each time. Now that I've been airbrushing for a few years, I went back to these lessons and tried to apply them to the airbrush.
Heres a list of materials I used for this sketch.
-Stabilo pencils
-Rubber eraser
-Helix electric eraser
-White chalk pencil
-Iwata airbrush (CM-C Plus)
-Createx Illustration Colors Burnt Umber and White
The process I used to sketch this portrait.
Block-In
Structure the Features
Key the Drawing using the airbrush.
This timelapse condenses about 4-5 hours of sketching into about a minute. If you're just starting to airbrush or sketch I have a few tips that can help.
Don't focus on time, break the portrait down into manageable chunks. Take breaks.
Start light and darken once you know the features are in the right place. When airbrushing, gradually build depth using layers.
Don't compare your art to other people. Do you. Be a UA (unauthorized artist). Don't wait for someone to give you approval. Just create.
Hope this helps.
Jean-Michel Basquiat Airbrush Painting
A airbrush painting of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Read moreBehind the Scenes - Making the Canvas
How I stretched prime canvas.
Read moreBlack Rose Painting
Something special I found in my garden. Black rose.
Read moreSign Restoration
Sign repair and restoration.
Sketchbook Entry 6
Airbrush sketch of Peewee Longway. I made this on toned paper with a Iwata Custom Micron and Eclipse airbrush.
Read moreSketchbook Entry 5
Sketchbook Entry 4
Growing up there was a hobby shop next to the grocery store. They sold magazines, comic books, skateboards, spray paint, and model cars. They had a small section of lowriders. 64 Impalas, Cutlass, Monte Carlos, and other classics. This place was like heaven. They had kits that added hydraulics to some of the cars.
I would spend days assembling and painting my cars. I also spent time reading Lowrider magazine. That's where I was introduced to airbrushing. I thought those guys have the best job ever. They get to draw on cars and trucks and get paid. I would practice drawing the women in the magazine and the cars. I was obsessed.
I learned about Mr. Cartoon about that time and began to follow his work. Not only was he a dope tattoo artist, but he could also paint signs and airbrush too. I kept up with his work and respected his unique style and approach. This sketch is of the legendary Mister Cartoon.
Sketchbook Entry 3
One of my favorite singers is Lauryn Hill. Her music is timeless. Her message has always been powerful.
For this sketch, I tried something different. I tried using a paper stencil to define all of my edges. Then I went back freehand and laid down all my shadows, mids, and highlights. I like the way this turned out but the stencil creates some harsh edges. I'm not used to that. Usually, I'll airbrush freehand on top of a pencil sketch. But there are some times when stencils can help get sharp lines.
If I were to paint this again on a larger canvas I would do it somewhat differently. Overall it was a good learning experience. Hopefully, I can paint her again on a large canvas or wall.
Sketchbook Entry 2
This is a sketch I've been wanting to make for a long time. I always believed that if you want something bad enough and you work hard for long enough, you can make your it happen. As a young kid, I knew that I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to be independent and free to think and make decisions about my life and future. I didn't want to ride shotgun along the road of life. I wanted to be behind the wheel.
It's weird that things from your childhood have a way of resurfacing in your adult years. Lately, I've been thinking about my old hobbies and how much they shaped me. Like the music, the BMX and dirtbikes, the beach, the old school cars, and sketching/drawing. Now that I’m my own boss I want to go back to some of these ideas and look at them from a different perspective.
Hope you enjoy this sketch. Let me know what you think below.
Sketchbook Entry 1
Managing Life (Business & Personal)
It's been a while since I've posted anything here. Since my last post, a lot has happened. I've been working, drawing, moving, and dealing with typical life issues. I was trying to do too much. I thought I could juggle social media posts, blog posts, growing my business, and family obligations while still creating art and making a living. I thought I could give 100% of myself to all areas. It worked for a while but ultimately it killed my creativity. I had to find a way to work these areas without burning out.
My escape has always been sketching. It's been the one thing that I always fall back on. No matter whats going on in the outside world, I'll find a way to sketch or create art. I've done it my entire life but 99% of my sketches were lost or thrown away. So I decided to record a few sketches and speed them up and post them on Instagram.
During this process, I found out a few things.
I suck at editing content. But some places that helped me are youtube and Skillshare.com
Creating a video of my sketch helps me get better by seeing my weaknesses and strengths objectively.
Capturing the video is the easy part. The creative part is editing the video to tell a story. People like the video to have a clear beginning, middle, and end. People also like consistency.
I'm going to posting some of these videos these here. Let me know what you think. What would you want to see in a video like this?
Billie Holiday Portrait
Life has a way of forcing us to adapt and change. We spend so much time and energy resisting change without really knowing why. I’ve fought against this my whole life, I wanted complete control even though I know deep down its necessary to let go.
As a freelancer we have to accept change and dance with it instead of fighting against it. Clients come and go. Projects are started and completed. People come into your life and disappear just as fast. But sometimes we just want things to slow down and level off. So I asked myself, how do I get rid of the noise inside my head that says “If things go this way I’m happy, but If things go the opposite way then life sucks?”
After reading a book called The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer, I realized that the best way for me to deal with changes is to surrender to it. Just accept life as it is. Things don’t have to be a certain way for me to be happy and enjoy my work.
I thought about this painting years ago. I wanted to paint a portrait on a piece of cut-out plywood. I searched but I couldn’t find a client that wanted this type of work so I put the idea away. Recently I decided to focus more of my time on things that I could get into 100%. I want to focus on projects that move me on a deeper level and not just projects for money. Even if I never sell this painting it was worth the experience. What I learned from painting this is that sometimes I have to get out of my own way and just create.
Sometimes its good to surrender and let the winds of life blow in a great gift.
Timelapse Airbrush Painting
I get inspiration from many places. I studied Nip for years. I respected the way he was business minded and mission focused. When I heard he was no longer in this place I was sad for a moment. Then I remembered what he had done and I decided to celebrate his life instead.
See, most of us live little lives. We let the world and society put limits on us. We let other people control our emotions and reactions to life. Sometimes someone like Nip decides to live big. When I think of his life It reminds me of an excerpt from Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine
I do not choose to be a common man.
It is my right to be uncommon … if I can.
I seek opportunity … not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen,
Humbled and dulled by having the State look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk,
To dream and to build. To fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole;
I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence;
The thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
Nor my dignity for a handout
I will never cower before any master
Nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid;
To think and act for myself,
To enjoy the benefit of my creations
And to face the world boldly and say:
This, with God’s help, I have done.
All this is what it means to be an Entrepreneur.
R.I.P Nipsey Hussle
Creating your dream
What would you wake up and do if you had your dream job?
Read moreWillie Rogers USAF
Airbrush portrait of Willie Rogers. USAF Tuskegee Airman
Read more3D Sign Project
Freelancers work so hard to stay busy. We fear slow months so we do everything possible to active. Once you’re successful at staying “busy” then what’s next? For me it was burn out. This is how it happened and how I corrected.
Read moreBecome a Better Freelancer (3 WAYS)
These tools helped me become a better freelancer.
Read moreMetal Panel Art
“Sometimes the greatest benefit comes from failure. Failure forces us to pursue an alternative path that we wouldn’t have otherwise considered.” -Alex Lickerman MD
Its risky trying something for the first time. Sometimes the fear of failure keeps us from taking new projects or trying new ideas. But I failing is part of the game. Not every swing is going to be a home run. What matters is how you react.
Each step forward is a step towards progress. So I try to keep this in mind when there seems to be no hope in sight. I follow 2 principals that help me stay focused when my original plan fails.
OODA Loop- observe–orient–decide–act. Instead of wasting hours thinking about the obstacle i’m facing, I use this process to navigate a path forward.
Launch. Fail. Iteration, Stick with it….. Remember, the greatest benefit any situation has to offer is wisdom. If you screw up, learn from it and keep it moving.
Top 3 ways to get more work.
When you're first starting out one of the biggest questions is how to get creative work. How do I find a job and get paid?
When I started out I tried everything. I wasted a lot of time and energy running on a treadmill and not going anywhere. Here are a few things that actually worked for me.
1. Made samples for myself.
People like to see previous work. If you're able to produce a sample it helps the customer know what they are getting. Making samples also gives you a benchmark of how long a particular project will take and how much energy will it take to get the job done.
2. Leveraged my contacts.
I contacted the people I already know to see if they were interested in getting my product. A lot of people will say that the're interested but its only official once they hand over the money.
3. Referrals.
My first few clients are important because they were my spokesmen. Treat them well and keep them happy. I always give more to people who refer me. It becomes a beneficial relationship where we can help each other.