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comd (Apr 6, 2006)

After doing my last picture here which was a very mechanical attempt to achieve photorealism where my only aim way to copy the photo, I wanted to go in the opposite direction, getting back more to what I was trying to do in the intermediate boards, instead attempting the loosest attempt to draw from a reference yet, with an attempt to only use the reference without drawing the reference at all. Accuracy to the photo is not going to be a criteria in this case. It's going to be about speed, looseness, and improvisation. I just finished a lot of work, so hopefully I'll have the time to focus on something challenging.

I'm going to try to combine what I've learned from both my practice in drawing with references and inventing forms without references to make something that hopefully doesn't suck too much and doesn't require too much time spent on it (hopefully something I finish by the end of the day). By using a reference, I'm hoping the result will be more convincing and anatomically correct than some of my doodles on this board where I didn't use any references at all. By not drawing the reference directly, the end result will hopefully be something fairly different than the photo and interesting on its own. Most importantly, I'm hoping it will be a useful exercise that will help me get better.

Reference: http://hq55.com/scan/willemdafoe/01.jpg. After cropping out the text on the left, I decided to flip him horizontally. I just liked it better that way after removing all the space on the left. I don't know why I liked it better - I'm not a composition expert, but I liked the initial focus to be on the left flowing towards the right, and having the brighter portion of the face on the left seemed to do that more.

I don't really know what I'm going to end up with. I have a fantasy theme in mind: maybe a warrior or a priest or something.

comd (edited Apr 6, 2006)
drawn in 16 min

I'm sure this is the sorriest attempt to copy from a photo ever. It makes my last freehand doodle look like a photocopy. I wasn't trying to copy the reference this time. In fact, I deliberately tried to make mistakes. For instance, I realized the nose was tilting to the right before I drew it. I didn't bother. The mistakes are going to dictate the direction of this drawing. I also tried to draw as fast as I could, but 16 minutes is still really slow. I kept thinking to myself, "faster faster!" while I did it, so there was a point halfway where I almost abandoned the photo completely and just started drawing what I remembered.

This first freehand copy is just a quick study. I wanted to get a sense of the form and lines on the face before I started messing with everything. Now I'm going to stop using the photo for the most part. After making this study, I've already memorized and recorded all the necessary information I want out of it.

DoOp (Apr 6, 2006)

woh >_> so much writing, you're some sort of genius, an artistic one :) this didn't look like a photo ish copy, well the way you sketched it, reminds me of, i dunno, a really good sketch to layout everyything on so far

comd (edited Apr 6, 2006)

Oh thanks, but I'm just a verbose left-brainer having problems switching to the right side. If I was a genius, I wouldn't have such horrible grammar. :\ He almost looks like a gargoyle or demon with the way I accidentally narrowed his face. Maybe I'll go witih that idea.

DoOp (Apr 6, 2006)

i have no left or right brain, all the brain cells have suicided x3

solve (Apr 6, 2006)

You already have all the facial templates set. If its going to be fantasy just exaggerate etc. This is nice as is, but i cant wait to see your ideas come to life. Youve quickly jumped up as one of my faves on 2draw comd. Glad to have you here,

gerbear (Apr 6, 2006)

Wonderful start, cannot wait to see the rest. I knew what you meant on on your last pic, all I meant was, tight or loose the process is always the same. I understand your wanting to "progress" to a more "natural" looser drawing style. I personally appreciate both styles, each one takes its own skill set and i suspect you will excell at both. :)

nekodesu (Apr 6, 2006)

This looks great as it is. Can't wait to see the final product :)

comd (Apr 6, 2006)
drawn in 3 hours 47 min

I used the horribly inaccurate drawing I made in the first revision as a base and just went crazy with it. I didn't really spend as much time as indicated on this: I had to do a meeting in between and also ate dinner, but I did forced myself to take my time and play around with it quite a bit to explore various designs.

Initially I drew a skull over the face to just get a feel for the underlying structure. After that, I started making him even more gaunt and was planning to go with that, but after I got back from my meeting, I decided that was a bit too convenient. I didn't want to just make an exaggerated version of Willem Dafoe. So, I instead went in the opposite direction of what I wanted to do and thickened him up quite a bit. I gave him a wider jaw, neck, and a generally more powerful look.

I also played around with halftones a bit. They're fun: I like texture because I can sometimes find new things in it and make more happy accidents with a textured canvas/brush stroke.

I'll try to slap on some shading/color now.

Opium (Apr 6, 2006)

Willem Dafoe...all I ever think of when I see him is the gay, drag queen cop off of boondock saints haha but I looooooove the movie and he did such a believable job! maybe he is an undercover cop who's gay and preforms nightly at the club "Such A Drag"....

davincipoppalag (Apr 6, 2006)

I'm looking more at the commentary than the picture. It's an interesting "portrait" of the mind of the artist, during the process of trying to create. It's fascinating.

comd (edited Apr 7, 2006)
drawn in 44 min

Added some color.

I didn't want to spend too much time at this stage since I'm trying to get better at drawing, not at rendering. The last picture I submitted here was a good rendering exercise, but it was a horrible drawing exercise since I was just copying grid cells for the line drawing.

davincipoppalag (Apr 7, 2006)

This is really coming along very well. I think you're successful in your efforts.

DoOp (Apr 7, 2006)

woh, pwn'd in colouring there :) I think you did a super job! =) I luff your art soo much @_@!!! the nose and the eyes are the best part in my opinion =D but the rest look uberly cool tastical! xD

Sweetcell (Apr 7, 2006)

Somewhat elfish, it's interesting to read what was going through your mind as you drew this, I'd say your right side was working conveniently alongside your left. Nicely done comd.

Just have to ask what your name represents, if it's a abbreviation of something. Curious is all.

Shoebox (Apr 7, 2006)

Reminds me of that part in the ROTK movie. Y'know, the path of the dead?

Creepy. But good, very very good. I love how you can still see the sketch lines.

safescene (Apr 9, 2006)

You are crazily talented. I love how it looks as though he came from another era/dimension/time, and his smug face.

Kloxboy (Apr 9, 2006)

That's tight. I really like the subtle highlights and lighting. Structure rocks..hehe.