Process

When drawing, sketching, painting, designing, whatever... There is a process.  Steps towards making the final result.  There is never really an end to what ever the piece is.  The process ends when you feel it is satisfactory towards your, and others, visual needs.  Here is an example of one of my recent designs, that I literally finished just prior to making this.

I know it's difficult to see, the scanner I use varies on the quality of what it scans and unfortunately you can't see all of the smaller, finer lines I have on here... For the purpose of this blog post I'm just using this design because 1) I just finished it and I am really impressed by it and 2) I always like to see how artists went from nothing to a masterpiece, although this is a far cry from being so.  I don't have many pictures from my nothing to masterpiece, and I apologize.  I do have more varieties on my Facebook page if you're really that interested, there's an album dedicated to my Tattoo Designs & Requests.  Feel free to look at it.

Here you just see basic outlines of what appears to be a cross with stuff all wrapped around it.  I began originally with the shape of the cross, then plotted where I wanted the barbed wire to go, along with where I wished for the roses to be and where their vines would wrap around as well.  I do use websites and pictures/photos, even other artist's works as references.  No, I do not copy them.  I find it easier to see how someone else drew it out, or how the subject is naturally in order to get it as close to the real thing as I can in my drawing.  By seeing someone else's work, you can see their pencil or paintbrush strokes and where they shaded heavily or had no shading at all, and that alone can help you figure it out on your own.

Now finished, it's a big difference from what I had started with.  Shading really makes images and drawings and paintings pop.  There's so many little techniques that one can't really explain to another, something an artist has to figure out on their own.  Those techniques are what make them unique, what makes their art works theirs.

I added a shit ton of shading, but what was difficult was all the small areas and details I needed to fill.  From the body of the cross, to the vines, the roses, the barbed wire, to the blood dripping off of various parts of the design.  I did not add any colors solely for the fact that yes, I am scared to use colors in my pieces because I'm not yet confident in my coloring skills.  On top of the fact I prefer to do designs in black and white so in case the requester of the design wants it that way, and if they change their mind all they have to do is tell the tattoo artist they see to add the colors they want.

If I were to add colors, I wouldn't do the whole thing.  Simply just add a vibrant red to the dripping blood so it'd be easier to spot them.  If that wasn't enough, then I'd also make the roses a vibrant red as well, but leaving everything else black and white.  Why ruin what I have with too much colors?  There is enough going on with the vines and barbed wire wrapping around, no point in confusing viewers with colors in the mix.  That is what I personally feel about that.

Maybe later I will create a similar post as this about the process of drawing using a different drawing or artwork that better illustrates the different processes used...  That will come in time.  Instead, enjoy my latest piece and appreciate the beauty of the world around you!  Okay, kind of cheesy...  Just have a wonderful day.