Fleshing Out the Cover
Article Transcript
Device: Wacom Cintiq Companion
Program: Photoshop
Brush: Kyle Webster’s Gouache Brush Set
When I begin working on a studio caricature, my goal is always to have unique exaggeration, interesting shapes, with a mix of cartoon, abstract, and some realistic elements. I also like to give my art a good amount of movement and balance. I chose Drake because I wanted to try and capture that goofy smile he has, plus he’s so well known right now and I haven’t seen too many caricatures of him.
1. Get all the bad sketches out! With any celebrity, I first spend a lot of time doing preliminary sketches. I search online and choose a few good reference photos for the final, but also draw several other angles, and of course watch a lot of videos and interviews with the subject. I experiment with different exaggerations, taking breaks in between doing these so I can start to visualize his image in my head, then go back, draw it up and see how it comes out.
In the beginning, I was having a hard time because every sketch ended up looking like my friend, and fellow ISCA member, Nate Kapnicky.
2. For this piece, I was never able to get a preliminary sketch to a point where I really felt the likeness was 100%. But, I decided that I had learned enough about him, and had a general idea in my head of the final image, that I could just put a sketch into Photoshop and try to work it out.
3. Since I wasn’t sold on his facial likeness yet, I began adding more of his body because I was intrigued by the way his neck and head slinks up off his shoulders with a nice curve. At this point, I’m hoping that being pleased with the posture will give me the answer to what to do with his face.
4. Looking ahead past getting the likeness, I still focused on figuring out the concept. I knew that deciding on colors would also be crucial in giving the piece mood and recognizability. The pink and blue background came from the “Hotline Bling” video, and a Google image.
5. I start placing in the light source, using a photo reference of Drake on stage performing.
6. Start defining shapes.
7. Once I felt I was making good progress on the overall concept, I used that confidence to go back and figure out everything that I didn’t like about his face and make the proper changes. My changes were making the face wider to widen his smile, finding out how to show more of his mustache and upper lip, and figuring out the triangular shapes in his cheek and smile area. Meanwhile, I am still working in the light and shadows, and finding interesting shapes throughout his face.
8. My focus remaining on the face, I’m trying to clean up the details, and staying open to any experimentation to give it more style.
9. The home stretch! I’m happy with the face, now it’s time to go back and work out the rest of the forms.
10. Staying critical and continuing to make changes if I don’t like something or it looks off. I altered the left arm because I wasn’t happy with the curve of his bicep, so I took a chance and tried to make it more abstract.
11. More details adding to his persona.
12. Lastly, I wanted to carry more light from the background onto Drake somehow. I thought spotlights coming up from the stage would be a great way to give it more depth, while making the image more iconic and exciting!
13. Step 13: COMPLETE!
Brian Oakes lives with his wife in San Diego, CA. He has been doing live Caricatures since 2001 and works as the Manager for Kaman’s Art Shoppes, at SeaWorld, San Diego. Brian has also won numerous awards at the Annual ISCA Conventions. Find more of his work at www.BrianOakesart.com.
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