When I draw, it could be for different reasons: challenges, attractive inspirations, or for trying new things. When I was in college, I was very interested in human bodies and faces, and in my drawings, I used to combine them with small objects in oneiric ways. There was a meaning for those objects I was put there, like in the old Baroque masters’ paintings. Everything had an intention, and I was hoping people could see the drawings and find themselves in one way or another.
Lately, I have wanted to draw with more artistic goals in mind. I was missing a little bit when I didn’t always draw digitally, like in college. Real and tangible materials have always led me to try more artistic approaches and talk about more profound things. And since I didn’t have a lot of material or space, I decided it was about time I seriously tested the dry media brushes in Photoshop.
After a few tries, I found exciting results with some charcoal brushes combined with a smudge tool. My test started with a face, and soon enough, I fell in love with the base, textures, and lines. The structure and foundation of the drawing were solid, so it was easy and natural to work in it. The face was looking directly to me, inviting, like she wanted me to talk with her. So for me, it was an occasion to talk about the present time. In a time like this, I see people putting off their face masks and for me is like the leaves falling from the trees. And I wanted to show that and add that punch of the color from the beautiful leaves I see from my windows. So I took a picture of some leaves in my home’s back and moved them to the portrait, using a pastel-like technique this time.
In the end, this was a laborious drawing, especially for the leaves, with many details. In the end, I was thrilled with it because I love the combination of the black and white and color, the textures like real painting bars, and the story behind it. I hope people who see it can think about the autumn this year or the previous one and think about all the beautiful things we can still enjoy in our everyday life.
I hope you enjoy it!
Beaconpancakes 