I am posting this late on my website, as I was (wrongly) prioritizing social media. But now that I’m realigned and back on track posting here, it’s a great piece to share at my personal space.
This one was originally created for a social media competition ran by Comex (a Mexican paints brand). I wasn’t picked as a winner but I loved it so much that I decided sharing it as a free phone wallpaper. You can download it here.
I’m a sucker for planning my artwork so I first did a couple of concept sketches. One was pretty standard: a skeleton party. The second one was whimsy and fun: cempazuchitl fairies. The rest is history.
Then, after the right concept was picked, I played a little painting a few cempazuchitl flowers (duplicated them and modified them a little after to create more) and planned the positioning of the fairies a little better. My dad gave me the idea of changing the design of the fairies from La Catrina to Frida Kahlo. I think it was a wonderful idea!
I am very happy with the result and I’m using the wallpaper on my phone. After all, it is November!
Follow my process in this tutorial for a female portrait in Photoshop! There are probably a lot of other tutorials from experienced teachers out there but I guarantee fun times ahead!
I will start by saying I am in no way a pro and I am a self-taught artist. So as you can see in my video, I do some ugly sketching, then follow it (kinda) and once the fundamentals are there, I add a little color, etc. I will go over my process in written form here as the video has no voice or steps.
While this is a simple tutorial, my goal for you is not to copy exactly what I do in terms of the image or style, but to find a workflow that works for you. This workflow helps me be quick without the need to figure out what steps I should follow. For more on this, join the Paintable community for free. They do a lot of challenges and activities where you can learn workflows, but if you want to get serious, they also have some paid courses/masterclasses. This isn’t sponsored by them nor I have anything to do with them, but the workflow here is what I’ve learned through them 🙂 Another option is Marc Brunet‘s artschool program (one I invested in and am currently using to get better).
This is something I did while streaming on Twitch in 2020 (yes, that year was pretty good for art– I was streaming for 2x week and doing a ton of things!) I didn’t record a lot of my streams but a couple became Youtube videos.
Digital Portrait Tutorial
The workflow goes like this:
Sketch
While I didn’t use a reference image here, I encourage you to do so. It is easier when you have something to compare your art to. Start with shapes and guides– I went straight to anatomic shapes but having circles and boxes instead also works as a first step. In fact, mine isn’t 100% anatomically correct. But finished, not perfect is better than not doing anything at all!
Base Colors
Use the midtone as base color. Don’t go too dark or too light on this one. We will build up from here.
Shadows
Take a darker tone for shadows and use a combination of brushes with soft edges and hard edges. Hard edges help build shape while soft edges help blend or create smooth surfaces. In this and the next step, a reference photo will absolutely make a difference. Shadow and light can be tricky!
Lights
Similar to the previous step but this time on the opposite direction. We want to paint the spots where the light is touching the portrait. Most of the time I start adding some rough details here, including changing the lineart color to be softer/closer to the tones I’m using in the overall piece. Of course you can always cover the lineart too for a more realistic look.
Details
I didn’t add a lot of details here, but in this step you can add texture, freckles, imperfections, extra highlights, stylized finishes, etc. If you’re copying from a reference and they have jewelry, for example, this is the step to literally shine!
The video above is a simple portrait with no reference, but of course, when you do use reference, guessing is replaced by accuracy, as you can see on the other portrait where I followed the same steps as described.
Random elf portrait, without using a reference picture.Thranduil, the Elvenking (King of the elves), using reference picture.
If you’re interested in seeing the process for my Thranduil portrait, we’re following the same steps. Please excuse me because I am chaotic, so I jump from one step to another as I find things I’m not happy about. However, I admit I haven’t been doing this for a long time… the more you stick to a workflow, the better you will follow it and be efficient with it.
Final Thoughts
I hope this tutorial is helpful for your digital painting journey. I think that finding a workflow is half the battle, and I am thankful that we live in this era of information where tutorials, step by steps, videos and incredible teaching/learning materials are available at no cost or at a fraction of formal education. Art should be accessible for everyone to practice!
Follow this workflow and practice– I bet you can create a wonderful digital portrait by the third time you try!
We all aspire to greatness. Some more than others–and it often leads to dissatisfaction, frustration, and burnout. Less pressure works better than pushing to your limits at all times.
I’ve always been a tryharder and often, I felt proud of it. My approach to everything was just to try harder. I made a mistake? Try harder. My client wasn’t as happy? Try harder. My drawing wasn’t perfect? Yes, you guessed it: Try harder.
We love to think that life is simple like that, that we can have a formula for success and follow it to get the results we want every time, but growing up means realizing that isn’t true. Life sometimes gets nasty, and even when we “do everything right”, results can lead to failure. It is ok to try hard but not for everything, at all moments.
I published a video about how the flow has been my friend lately:
Maybe the answer is to not push ourselves all the time. I know that there are moments in life where there’s no way around it, but unlearning the “tryhardiness” has been one of the most difficult tasks of my 30’s.
Final Thoughts
Be nice to yourself and allow yourself to be OK. Not perfect. Sometimes we can’t control the outcome even if we push ourselves to the limit, so let go of that expectation to be better all the time. You’re a human being that is human just for being. To be or not to be….amiright?
This short stands out in the Animatrix collection because there’s something about it that is so innocent and pure. Like the children playing. I guess it doesn’t quite start that way, but once our protagonist meets the cool kids (I named this tribute “When I met the cool kids”), things turn very bright and magical.
I think I paint whimsical things because the world isn’t always a happy place. And this short is that little light in that dense Matrix universe of cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, doomed world.
Anyway– here’s a short video essay on the duality of feeling this depression/doom and creating feelgood, whimsical things. Oh yes, and the timelapse of the digital painting.
Disclaimer: I noticed my audio is a little low- I am sorry I had no script so I am not going to rerecord it! But now I know, for the next one…
Many artists are committed to the search for meaning or purpose. They explore what it means to be alive, or if they (or artwork) will have an impact in the world. But does art really need purpose or meaning? In this article, I want to share a few thoughts on this interesting topic and continue with my hunt for freedom in my practice, more than anything.
Why Searching for Meaning
Maybe artists are very “sensitive” and feel this drive for purpose or meaning (we are a little bit self-centered); or art has always been a companion in human history, documenting our social contexts; or art is an expression of our true selves; or art can translate feelings and abstract concepts into the physical world to leave a mark on history. While these reasons for searching for meaning can be true, art can also be just fun. For the artist, for the viewer– something that we enjoy doing, and the “purpose” for art can be different for every one of us but—what if art was meant to be enjoyed, and that’s it? Refer to Richard Collison’s post to dive deeper.
In the main image for this article, you will see some quick drawings I did one morning. I wasn’t thinking about deep purpose or meaning. It was just a task to draw shapes in perspective and add some lights and shadows and these were the things in front of me. I guess we can say that the purpose of those was to practice drawing, but other than that… can we assign value, purpose, or meaning to the depiction of headphones and a coffee mug? Eh– it is up to you. You can say “Of course! It means hygge!”. The reality is that art will always represent this subjectivity, but I want to make a case for enjoying the moment, either for the creator or the spectator without assigning value to everything!!
Using Art to Connect with Your Inner Child
While I am trying to find meaning in life, I am pushing myself to be better in art to find myself. When I was a kid, I didn’t really care much if my art was good or bad, or if I would be good enough to sell artworks. Adults often asked me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and I would reply “A painter”. Then some of them would reply “You will starve” or “But that doesn’t pay off”. Of course, I wouldn’t quite understand, because when we’re little kids we want to be happy and have fun; that’s all we want. We don’t understand money, or jobs, or any of this crap adults have to deal with. Right now, I’m using art to find my artistic self again and find happiness in the process, not the outcome.
Outcome is Inevitable
So I’m saying over and over that I’m enjoying the process and trying to not bind myself to the end product, or what I will do with the artwork, or if people will like it or not. However, I have been drawing and painting every day for 31 days (for the second time in my adult life) without interruption and I am starting to see great things as outcomes:
I feel happier and more connected with my inner child
My creative juices flow more quickly
My drawing and painting skills are improving (even without trying that hard!)
I am not afraid or ashamed to ask my friends to support my work (liking, sharing, commenting, etc)
My social media is ramping up, thanks to exposure from friends and family
I’m gaining confidence
Final Thoughts
I’m learning to take myself less seriously, including my art practice. The funny thing is that I’m doing a lot of art studies and improving while I don’t care. Hah! Things always work out at the end, they say. Maybe I will be able to be very masterful one day, but let’s not worry or care about that right now! Let’s embrace meaningful and deep artworks while also enjoying things just for the sake of enjoying them. I guess art is just like life. What if the meaning of it all was to let go, enjoy the ride, and live for the sake of living?
Last week, I discovered something amazing about sketching every day—it can help us overcome perfectionism, reduce anxiety, and enhance our artistic abilities. In this blog post, I want to share my personal journey with sketching and offer some advice to fellow aspiring artists and enthusiasts. No fancy words, just a heartfelt account of my experiences.
Looking Back
As I started sketching, memories of my high school years came to me. From 2001 to 2006, I used to spend a lot of time doodling and doing daily sketching because I loved it. There was no Instagram (shameless link) back then, so I shared my drawings on DeviantArt. While I hoped for some feedback, my main focus was enjoying the process. Looking back, I realize I was actually pretty good at it. And the funny thing is that I don’t think I was chasing perfectionism.
The Inner Child Reawakens
Recently, I decided to reconnect with my younger self and recapture the joy I felt while sketching. We often take ourselves too seriously as adults, chasing perfection and trying to create something completely original. But why stress over making the perfect artwork or nailing the anatomy? The truth is, most people don’t really care.
Letting Go of Perfectionism and Living in the Moment
To reignite my artistic spirit, I began to let go of expectations. I would make a cup of tea, play some music, or watch my favorite shows on Netflix or Hulu. With my mind relaxed and distracted, I let my hand guide me, creating sketches without worrying about their place in the world. Most importantly, it made me feel free, without any pressure to be perfect.
The Journey of Imperfection
Through daily sketching, I created a bunch of sketches—some turned out well, others not so much. But among those imperfect creations, there was one sketch that really stood out. It had a loose, soft quality that was simply amazing. Before I knew it I was quickly adding color and a couple of hours later, this happened:
Embracing Unfinished Work
Now, my iPad is filled with sketches, and some of them may never be completed. And you know what? That’s totally fine. I think back to the notebooks I had in the past, filled with unfinished sketches. I lost sight of the joy in the process at some point. I wonder when and why that changed for me.
Final Thoughts
Daily sketching has been an eye-opening experience in my artistic journey. It has helped me break free from the chains of perfectionism and embrace imperfection with open arms. By reconnecting with the carefree spirit of my younger self, I have rediscovered the true essence of art and the sheer joy it brings. So, my fellow aspiring artists and enthusiasts, I encourage you to let go, live in the moment, and allow your sketches to unfold naturally. Embrace imperfection, for it is on that path that you’ll find true artistic joy.
A friend used to run a facebook group called ArtJam and sometimes they organized events/challenges for artists to create cool stuff. I’ve been following this kind of things for a while now, and whenever I can, I try to do this kind of thing, just to do something fun.
The challenge was to repaint, overpaint, redesign, etc a clow card (from Card Captor Sakura) of your choice in whatever style you wanted.
I remembered my school days from when I was about 12 and loving this anime and I thought I’d give it a shot.
Now a little about my card: I tried to use the same elements than the original but changed the rigid pose and symmetry to a more dynamic pose/composition.
The story behind this card is that when you summon ‘the arrow’ you don’t only summon the weapon but its wielder: a smallish pink girl. I made it a small pre-teen instead of child/kid and made it more elvish (oops! – sorry not sorry)
This one started as a sketch around 2016 and it was just there in a piece of paper, not even a sketchbook I think. It went through several trials to get to where it is now. In 2017 I inked it and tried a few different things and again, dropped it for years haha.
On Dec 2017 I was in the middle of moving and even so, I’m not sure how, I did a ton of skeches. Maybe because I didn’t have good internet?
This was inspired by a Disney’s Brave sticker my kid had. She had like a book of Disney stickers. I love Merida and her curly hair. Decided to make this sketch inspired by Merida’s hair and “badassery”. I was into armor and knighty things back then (and maybe even now)
By the time I finished this, it was May of 2020 and I was streaming sometimes. This was finished on stream with some friends hanging out with me. It was pretty cool! Streaming was kind of convenient too, because Twitch would save the video and I could download it and speed it up to upload to Youtube, and that’s exactly what I did.
