CRITIQUING MY OLD ARTWORK - THE ANDY SAMBERG PENCIL SKETCH
Updated: Oct 10
Okay. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this sketch is genuinely one of my proudest moments. And in this blog, I'm going to try and share with you a bit of my process, and how this sketch came about.
the inspiration
I made this sketch during April of 2019. This was the time where my art was mostly pencil shading, and I experimented very little with new mediums.
I had just finished re-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine for the fifth time, and I needed some way to express my obsession. While watching the show I realised how much I liked Andy Samberg as an actor, so it was really no question about what I was going to sketch. Back then, I did a lot of fan art, and my art looked very different. I mostly made pencil sketches using references, and I really enjoyed shading and practising realism. And obviously, this sketch was no different.
the reference
This is the image I used as my reference for this sketch. Initially, I was drawn to it because of the lovely colours, but evidently my sketch was going to be in black and white so the colours wouldn't have shown through. But, I just went with my gut and stuck to this image because I had a calling for it. There was just something so unique about it, I felt. It's a lovely headshot.
the tools
This sketch was made using the most basic tools. At this point, I had just started out with art as an everyday thing in my life, so I really didn't have the "fancy" tools. My art involved using toilet paper, ear buds/Q-tips and my fingers to do the bulk of the shading. I did not own blending stumps, or fancy erasers to help with highlights, or even any shading pencils, so I just used what I had, and created a sort of beginners toolkit for myself- I used a cheap sketchbook from my local supermarket, with pages not really meant for heavy shading, an HB clicky pencil, a few ear buds, a cheap charcoal pencil, a compass, some tissue paper and a chopped up school eraser.
Thinking about this really does humble me. Creating art with the most basic tools, it truly is something. I like to remember this time in my life, where I was just starting my art journey to where I am today, and the things that helped me get there.
what I think about this drawing
It always makes me happy looking at this sketch. I'm quite proud of having captured the likeness, and the littlest details. The creases on the face, the strands of hair, the few small moles, and the folds on the shirt. I can't help but appreciate the attention to detail that younger me had for her art.
I had used the grid method to create the outline for this sketch. I had just learnt about this technique and I was putting it to use wherever I could. It was really interesting trying to break up the entire image into tiny little squares, and focus on the shapes that they created. I had to train my brain to not think of the image as a whole, but hundereds of tiny images put together. I think I got pretty close to what the reference image actually is. Although, even after all this time, I still catch some differences in some small areas to this day and it does bother me for a second, I try to focus on my achievement, rather than picking at the details my 18 year old self may have missed. I'm really proud of her.
I had actually learned another technique before making this sketch. It was about using a sharp object to create indentations in the paper, and going over that with your pencil to get fine highlights, like the ones in the hair. I was so excited about being able to do this. It somehow made me feel like a professional. I used a compass to create little strokes where I wanted the highlights, and filled in the rest with a charcoal pencil do get that deep black of the hair.
I really struggle with creating hair in my artwork, but trying out this technique gave me a little more confidence. It made creating hair a little less intimidating. It may have not been the finest of jobs here, I certainly feel i could have used a little more refining, but I think it turned out pretty good regardless.
I also tried this on the eyes and the eyebrows. They didn't end up looking exactly like the reference, but I think I did a really good job for what it is. I believe I was able to capture the light and shadow really well with this particular section. The slight discolouration around the yes, and the under-eye area really does show through.
Sometimes when I look too closely at it, the shading does seem a little amateurish to me. I didn't really have the concept of highlights, and mid-tones and shadows... and I think that lack of knowledge about depth really shows through in my sketches during this time. My shading here mostly includes using the white of the paper as a "mid-tone" and just building on top of that. I do have a deeper understanding of this topic now, and I make a conscious effort to deal with the lack of depth in some of my art.
I am however, extremely pleased with the way I did the lips. The smile lines, the tiny wrinkles, the texture of the lips, the way the skin is around the lips and all the different changes in tone- I have no complaints here. I really did kill it in this department. I think I did good at capturing the subtlety of the expression, and the softness of the smile.
Keeping in theme with the absence of effective depth in my shading, I feel I could have done a better job with the clothes. I can feel the uncertainty I had with shading this section, especially with the finishing in the edges of the shirt. It's almost like I did not know how to end the sketch? Or create the borders of the sketch? As if I was unsure of how the subject sits separate from the background, as something 3D. I feel I lacked the skill to depict the roundness of the shoulders in front of a background, and perhaps I could have done a better job with a little more care to that area.
I am quite impressed with my ability here with representing folds in the fabric. I still struggle with this today, but it's nice to know that I was sort of able to grasp the concept 3 years ago.
I love how I was able to show all the different planes in the fabric and its folds. I think I did great at creating a sense of the material of the shirt and the over-shirt. I was able to make the inner shirt look thin and flowy with my shading, and make the jumper on top look a little heavier, especially with the detailing of the stitching and the shading at the collar.
Overall, I see this sketch as one of the turning points in my art. I am very grateful for all the learning that this sketch brought for me, along with a few others, that helped me reach where I am today. I believe I was able to really have an appreciation for my skill and talent through this sketch.
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