A Sketch of Gloria

Here is a breakdown of how to create a portrait on the computer. My girlfriend Gloria makes a fine model. You can also use photographs from magazines for reference material for your basic sketch. I usually start by doing a brush drawing in ink on illustration board or paper which is then scanned into the computer at 300 dpi. Then I add flat colors to the image after opening it up in Photoshop Elements 3. This is about how far I render when coloring my cartoons and comic strips. Next I add highlights and some additional colors using the brush tool. With the smudge tool I blend and soften some of the colors, finishing the rendering to my satisfaction. I could have gone further and made a much tighter rendering, but carrying it to this level is fine to demonstrate my working method on the computer. It helps to have experience using traditional painting mediums, so try to familiarize yourself by doing some painting and color sketches in watercolors and gouache. You can help yourself by finding a school or artist that offers painting classes.