30 Faces in 30 Days

Things have been a little monochromatic in my studio these days with the 30 Faces in 30 Days challenge by Sktchy. They have six fantastic teachers who rotate and talk through their processes as they draw a reference in pencil that they've usually chosen from Sktchy's Museum app. If you don't know it, this is a great free resource to use to find a collection of images that you can draw and paint without any copyright issues. Awesome people regularly upload images specifically for artists to use as references. I am finding it to be a great source of inspiration and I even contributed a couple of images of myself for others to use.

The challenge jumped off on January 1st. The first source was Marty, with his incredible face, full of character. I had a blast drawing him and I think it shows.

The only issue with such a great beginning is that I was confused when I began to struggle with the next few drawings. Every single image since this one has had some other angle, tilt, value, or proportional challenge. It's such a terrific exercise for skill-building and growth, but it made me face myself and forced me to dig into my reserves for daily perseverance. I'd say days 2-11 took a lot of effort to open the sketchbook, but with the last couple I'm seeing a marked increase in accuracy and likeness, as well as a decrease in the time it takes me to get there. I have 17 more days of the challenge, and I'm excited to see how I feel after finishing the last.

I'm not focusing on stylistic expression just yet, but that is ultimately the goal. I do really love to just sit and draw a reference. It doesn't take any decision-making - just practiced observation. I can usually even have a movie playing while I work. But as much fun as that is, I want to express something with my art - some sort of emotion, playfulness, or story. I feel like I did a bit with Marty in the drawing above. I loved his face so much that I played up the character in it, emphasizing my favorite parts. I haven't done that very much in the subsequent drawings though because they've taken so much effort just to find a likeness. After the 30 days are over, I am so looking forward to transitioning to paint, which is where I really plan to play. All this upfront practice in seeing values, angles, and proportions while drawing should allow me to jump into color with my full attention when it's time.

I am adding a section to my website to sell these portraits and future drawings and studies for those who are interested, so keep a lookout. I always look for things like this on an artist's website because they're typically a more budget-friendly way to add some original art and character to your home. Imagine this image of Marty looking at you somewhere in your home. I feel like he's just about to make some wise-crack to make me laugh.

If you've ever wanted a drawing of yourself or someone you love, I'm open to considering taking pencil or ink commissions. I will caveat though that I'm committed to working in my own style and looking for character or some interesting, touching, or fun expression or emotion. If you have a great reference photo for something like that, feel free to send it my way!