Sketchy Behavior, Part 2

On Monday I showed you some of my latest work with Manga Studio and Akvis Sketch that demonstrates some of the sketch-like effects I'm experimenting with. The goal with these techniques is NOT to create a single illustration that looks good, but to create a workflow that I can repeat so that I can achieve the following:

• Create images quickly
• Maintain a consistent style
• That print well (usually in b&w, but sometimes in color)

So far, both of these approaches appear to hit most of the marks, at least on technical terms. However, like all artwork, it comes down to combining artistic skill with technical competency. In other words, I think I need more practice with both of these techniques.

Bobby E. Studying: Poser 11 and Manga Studio

Here's my next iteration on the Guy Studying sketch I showed you on Monday. I have a feeling this might be the one I actually use (I'm illustrating a short story written by a friend, Roger Keel). 

One of the things I like about this is the inclusion of the brown, and the addition of blue to his tie (my wife suggested that). The brown was actually a happy accident – I was originally playing around with two shades of blue, then I inverted the color and got this cool sepia effect. One of the nice things about this particular sketch effect is that it's not super-precise, which means it takes on a more organic and rushed look that I usually have in my art. In this case, I think that's a good thing.