Dan the Doodlebug: DANIEL HOWELL PORTRAIT SPECIAL (2)
I know I already did a Dan the Doodlebug once this month, but I'm really in love with this portrait I did of Dan. It took me roughly two hours give or take. I wanted to do something large scale that was extremely detailed and would challenge my abilities as an artist. Let's take a look at this gorgeous portrait of YouTube's black laden, lothario came to fruition.
I usually start out with centring the person, or the focal point of the piece dead centre in the paper and work around it. I start with a sketchy outline and begin to fill it in. I kind of like to work the way tattoos are done. Do the outline and then the shading, filling in all the fine details that add depth and realism to a piece. I use just a simple mechanical pencil for these drawings. I use a .7 lead in them, which is the perfect size. Sometimes its hard to find a lead that has the right balance of soft and hard, I like to press down when I do an outline. For the shading, I like to barely graze the paper with the tip of the pencil and use my hands to smooth and spread the graphite. I feel the shading looks more realistic with this method and I have more control. When I'm doing darker shading, I'll press down, but not as hard as I would with an outline and work the graphite with my fingers. I love the feeling of the graphite and paper against my skin; it makes me feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile. I'm breathing life into something that wouldn't exist without me. I mean, he'd still be beautiful without me, but I aim to create something that will only enhance his outer beauty and capture the passion that dwells within him.
I usually start out with centring the person, or the focal point of the piece dead centre in the paper and work around it. I start with a sketchy outline and begin to fill it in. I kind of like to work the way tattoos are done. Do the outline and then the shading, filling in all the fine details that add depth and realism to a piece. I use just a simple mechanical pencil for these drawings. I use a .7 lead in them, which is the perfect size. Sometimes its hard to find a lead that has the right balance of soft and hard, I like to press down when I do an outline. For the shading, I like to barely graze the paper with the tip of the pencil and use my hands to smooth and spread the graphite. I feel the shading looks more realistic with this method and I have more control. When I'm doing darker shading, I'll press down, but not as hard as I would with an outline and work the graphite with my fingers. I love the feeling of the graphite and paper against my skin; it makes me feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile. I'm breathing life into something that wouldn't exist without me. I mean, he'd still be beautiful without me, but I aim to create something that will only enhance his outer beauty and capture the passion that dwells within him.
I actually started this portrait working off a still taken of him from the gaming channel he has. The moment was in vivid colour, but he stood out, a moment where his thoughts and feelings shown in the image, speaking silent volumes. I used a filter to mute the colour and switch it to black and white. I prefer to work with black and white images, they show more depth in terms of shading and detail.
The man-boy has so much heart, far much more than what he ever shows or lets on. I wanted to create something that expressed that tenderness that he seems almost ashamed of, so I added a heart to the sketch. I didn't want to just do a standard human heart in the drawing; I've done so many of those and I wanted more of challenge for this portrait. I felt that a heart sliced down the middle would be a perfect expression and compliment to the piece. It would speak of his guard, but also his vulnerability. I wanted to express what I felt in the image. I wanted to sketch something using his words and expressions as the graphite in the pencil. Living poetry so to speak.
This was my first attempt at sketching the inner workings of a heart. I've only ever drawn the outside before. I was so worried that it wouldn't come out right and that I'd have to re-draw it. I looked through the images I had, again and again, pouring over the reference material as I sketched. I started with the outline of the heart, working from the ventricles downward. I wanted to incorporate as much detail into the muscle issue as I could, but it was difficult seeing as the heart is rather small. I didn't put as much shading into some of the areas as I wanted to, but I realised that with the size of the heart it would just look muddled and messy and some of the detail would be lost with it.
The man-boy has so much heart, far much more than what he ever shows or lets on. I wanted to create something that expressed that tenderness that he seems almost ashamed of, so I added a heart to the sketch. I didn't want to just do a standard human heart in the drawing; I've done so many of those and I wanted more of challenge for this portrait. I felt that a heart sliced down the middle would be a perfect expression and compliment to the piece. It would speak of his guard, but also his vulnerability. I wanted to express what I felt in the image. I wanted to sketch something using his words and expressions as the graphite in the pencil. Living poetry so to speak.
This was my first attempt at sketching the inner workings of a heart. I've only ever drawn the outside before. I was so worried that it wouldn't come out right and that I'd have to re-draw it. I looked through the images I had, again and again, pouring over the reference material as I sketched. I started with the outline of the heart, working from the ventricles downward. I wanted to incorporate as much detail into the muscle issue as I could, but it was difficult seeing as the heart is rather small. I didn't put as much shading into some of the areas as I wanted to, but I realised that with the size of the heart it would just look muddled and messy and some of the detail would be lost with it.
Then I had the question of what would I use as a filler with the heart? I'd done roses with the last portrait and so many of my Dan portraits feature roses. Then it hit me. He loves cherry blossoms. Why didn't I ever think to use them before? (Have I and I just don't remember?) Keeping the heart as a focal point of the lower half of the drawing I started to build the flowers out from the top, peeking out from behind the ventricles and working into his jumper. I wanted the flowers to be playful and expressive like him, but also a bit concealed and private as he tends to be. Not a single aspect of this portrait was by chance. I've never done a portrait with so much symbolism before. Usually, they tend to speak for themselves. I wanted to see if I could create like the old masters that I admire so much; I think I pulled it off. What do you guys think?
I love to do big pieces, most of them influenced by tattoos. When you look at portraits, so many of them have beautiful frames or borders. I adore them. Actually, I only have a banner under one of the portraits I have on me...Interesting. It doesn't matter since in time the others will be covered with new memories that weren't created with shards of broken dreams and childish hopes. When I draw, I always start with the left and work my way across. I have no idea why I do that. If you look at almost all of the started pieces of artwork that I post, I start with the left or have most of the focal points on the left. I dunno why, I'm just drawn to it.
I worked some budding branches into the flowers, keeping the design as basic and simple as I could. I didn't want the cherry blossoms to take focus away from the heart or from Dan. I wanted their simplicity to be the perfect contrast to the detail of the other aspects of the drawing. Drawing is far more technical than people realise. I use a lot of technical design in my pieces. While I don't use a ruler, I eyeball each measurement, making sure that everything is balanced. If you have one side taller or longer than the other, it can throw the entire piece out of what. I decided that having two of the cherry blossoms peeking out from behind his shoulder would be a nice aesthetic change, usually, I have the flowers frame his shoulders. I found it to be a bit cheeky, like the little smirk he pulls when he's being flirty. Using the heart as a temporary focal point, I built the flowers around it. I wanted them to really frame the heart and compliment it.
Then I was stuck. I'd created this gorgeous left side to frame Dan without a thought to what I'd do on the right-hand side. Did I want to branch off and work something from behind him, creating a sort of diagonal frame with him at the centre? That didn't seem to mesh with the emotion he was expressing. It seemed to, I dunno playful and whimsical, wherein his expression he's calm and reflective. I could mirror the left-hand side! Another first for me. I don't think I've done a complete mirror image in a drawing before.
I wanted something in the centre though. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but then I thought about his love (and mine) for the gothic styles. Some of my earlier Dan portraits have featured a D for Daniel (also for what a dickhead he can also be). I decided to do his initials for his first and surname, leaving out his middle one because the drawing would look too cluttered. If you look closely at the letters there's a tiny bit of filigree housed within both of them. I drew inspiration from these off a Pinterest page. I don't remember the original artist who designed them, but I love the woman's work.
I worked the shading in his jumper around the lettering and decided that I'd start on the second heart before drawing the cherry blossoms around it. I was going to use the same method I had on the left-hand side. This was a bit difficult for me. I needed to look at the image and translate all of the details in reverse. In my head I had to flip the image and focus on it, occasionally looking at the reference material to make sure that the image I had in my head wasn't too far off the mark. With only one or two small little hiccups, I'd say that's pretty good for a first attempt at mirroring something so detailed.
With the right, I wanted to be a bit more expressive with the flowers, give them a bit more attention.
If you look at the left, you can see one of the blossoms peeking out from behind the heart, and I wanted them to pop out, so I started drawing them arching up his chest. I started to add the rest of the shading to his jumper on the right-hand side, adding in the small lines in the fabric to give it a bit of t 3-D-ish effect. (If you look close as well you can see all my fingerprints all over the drawing in graphite. I'm a crime tech's wet dream when it comes to drawing. I always have my hands all over it. I guess no one will be able to steal my art and claim it as their own with my grubby prints all over it.) I darkened the shadows under his eyes and below his eyebrows. He's perpetually got light purplish shadows under his eyes; as I do I. It was a bit difficult to get the shading just right with a black and white image, so thankfully, all I had to do was peer into a mirror and copy what I saw staring out at me.
I started to add more of the shading to his face, where, if the photo were in colour, you'd see a light blush along his cheekbone. I added a bit of a sharper jawline to him than he sometimes has; while I prefer his softer jawline, I felt the drawing called for more definition. I completed the shading and the lower half of his jumper which has a black stripe, blending it into the background of the cherry blossoms and heart. I love that yet again, peekaboo was being played in the drawing. Another layer to it, just like his many layers. I finished the shading of his neck, carefully smudging the graphite for the perfect shadow effect.
I wanted something in the centre though. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but then I thought about his love (and mine) for the gothic styles. Some of my earlier Dan portraits have featured a D for Daniel (also for what a dickhead he can also be). I decided to do his initials for his first and surname, leaving out his middle one because the drawing would look too cluttered. If you look closely at the letters there's a tiny bit of filigree housed within both of them. I drew inspiration from these off a Pinterest page. I don't remember the original artist who designed them, but I love the woman's work.
I worked the shading in his jumper around the lettering and decided that I'd start on the second heart before drawing the cherry blossoms around it. I was going to use the same method I had on the left-hand side. This was a bit difficult for me. I needed to look at the image and translate all of the details in reverse. In my head I had to flip the image and focus on it, occasionally looking at the reference material to make sure that the image I had in my head wasn't too far off the mark. With only one or two small little hiccups, I'd say that's pretty good for a first attempt at mirroring something so detailed.
With the right, I wanted to be a bit more expressive with the flowers, give them a bit more attention.
If you look at the left, you can see one of the blossoms peeking out from behind the heart, and I wanted them to pop out, so I started drawing them arching up his chest. I started to add the rest of the shading to his jumper on the right-hand side, adding in the small lines in the fabric to give it a bit of t 3-D-ish effect. (If you look close as well you can see all my fingerprints all over the drawing in graphite. I'm a crime tech's wet dream when it comes to drawing. I always have my hands all over it. I guess no one will be able to steal my art and claim it as their own with my grubby prints all over it.) I darkened the shadows under his eyes and below his eyebrows. He's perpetually got light purplish shadows under his eyes; as I do I. It was a bit difficult to get the shading just right with a black and white image, so thankfully, all I had to do was peer into a mirror and copy what I saw staring out at me.
I started to add more of the shading to his face, where, if the photo were in colour, you'd see a light blush along his cheekbone. I added a bit of a sharper jawline to him than he sometimes has; while I prefer his softer jawline, I felt the drawing called for more definition. I completed the shading and the lower half of his jumper which has a black stripe, blending it into the background of the cherry blossoms and heart. I love that yet again, peekaboo was being played in the drawing. Another layer to it, just like his many layers. I finished the shading of his neck, carefully smudging the graphite for the perfect shadow effect.
Rather than finish him, I decide that finishing the frame is more important and continue adding the details and fine shading to the heart and flowers. (I liked this shot, so I added it here, don't judge me or my process. I know you are.) I want the right to be balanced, but I want it to be a little different. I know I know, backtracking from before, but I like a bit of improvisation, despite my need for control, order and precision.
I fill in the free space with cherry blossoms and double check that the hearts are equally balanced and are mirror opposites. I love how the lettering in the middle is there, you notice it because of its darkness, but at the same time, it blends into the foreground. Both are detailed but different types of details. I think is one of the best work I've ever done, better than my Sipping the Tea with MR D portrait, which is my absoulte favourite. I might do another one along these lines. I wanna play with details like this. Create works this large. I've just gotta finish his hair and shade in his shirt collar and I'm finished!
I like to fill in the hair last. It's kinda like bottoming from the top for me. I dunno, where' I'm going with that but yeah. Since he's got wavy hair, I like to create different wave patterns in his hair, hide little Easter eggs in there. Most of the times I hide a cock and balls in his hair. If you look closely at the part where his curly top layer of hair and his shaved sides meet, you'll see a cock and balls sketched in there. It's a bit of humour I like to add and also a tribute to the utter dickhead he can be. You want to balance beauty with dickheadedness. It's important to get the recipe right and he seems to have perfected it.
I finish the drawing just as Rude Boy by Rihanna finishes playing. A fitting song for a fitting portrait of a fitting boy. (If you've not heard the song, I suggest it, it's got a catchy hook, great beat and it really turns you on.) I don't think I could be happier with how this portrait turned out. It's one of the most complex pieces I've done in the longest time and I'm happy that my depression held off long enough for me to concentrate on it and actually finish it. I start so many pieces and never get round to them. But, in honesty, it's not just my mood swings that get in the way of me finishing things. It's work, household things and the lack of interest people have in my pieces while they fawn over shit art. Sorry, don't mean to make this negative or seem ungrateful for the attention that my work does receive, but it's just a bit disheartening when you put in all this effort and time only to have it ignored and go unappreciated. Isn't art made to be appreciated? And while speaking of thanks, I'd like to than Daniel for being a lovely, yet trying subject once again. If this blog does well I'll do one for a Phil portrait. He's more difficult to draw actually. With Dan, I can cheat and use a mirror when I get stuck on certain things because of our similar appearances and features but with Phil, I can't.
Have drawing suggestions? Submit them! Let me know on Twitter what you'd like to see from me!
(Dunno why I even bother asking, I've been asking for suggestions for 3 fucking years almost and still haven't gotten a single one.) Ah, I'm not sorry about that. Maybe it's just me coming down from a high that's added to my pissy mood. Dunno when the next Dan the Doodlebug will be, so whatever. Coming up is a travel blog (finally) a reflection blog and...uh, something else. Maybe a literature preview for the new book or Happiness & Homicide-we've not heard from Wil on here since December!
(Dunno why I even bother asking, I've been asking for suggestions for 3 fucking years almost and still haven't gotten a single one.) Ah, I'm not sorry about that. Maybe it's just me coming down from a high that's added to my pissy mood. Dunno when the next Dan the Doodlebug will be, so whatever. Coming up is a travel blog (finally) a reflection blog and...uh, something else. Maybe a literature preview for the new book or Happiness & Homicide-we've not heard from Wil on here since December!
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