"Traditional Roadster" Sketch & Ink Video + a short rant

Well Happy New Year! Man it seems like forever since I've got up early enough to make cup of tea sit down to this blog. Last year I spent about a zillion percent of my time wrapped up on other social platforms like Instagram (@Pinstripe_Chris) where we have just over 53k followers, and Facebook (@Pinstripe Chris or Chris Dunlop) where we have over 13k combined followers- Im also a big fan of Pinterest (@ Pinstripechris or Chris Dunlop). Which got me thinking... reflecting, really, this morning- whats the deal with this blog thingy? In the early days I certainly put more consistent time in to it and and got more interaction out of it- in fact, its one of the few content sharing places where I don't feel limited to writing a short post. I love to write and tell the story behind what im creating, and believe me, there's always a story. While on IG or FB I may say things like, "Quick sketch with coffee" or something to that effect- the reality is I chose that subject, picked out the tools, decided on a perspective., and really years of work have gone in to making my simple sketch elegant. So why the lack of effort here on my part? Hmmm... might just be that I'm used to the other platforms and how they operate, which doesnt sound like a great reason at all. Guess im wondering if Blogging is what it used to be, or maybe I never used it the way it was intended- hmmm indeed. I've actually had this blog since 2010 when we still lived in Maryland and I was struggling as an creative, but starting to understand what I wanted to do. Sure it's only been 8 years, but thats longer then any other platform I share in- heck I dont think I've had my email address that long. Well I'm setting out to make some changes here, not specifically because of the new year, but because I'm always looking to optimize and like trying new things. So let me say a little about that video up there:

Several weeks back I was toying with the idea of shooting a quick video of a proper rough sketch complete with ink/marker/airbrush. Nothing too polished, but enough so that I could get it on camera and see what it looked like. I didn't want to spend a ton of time on my 1st go, so I kept it simple. A few nights earlier my wife Caity had helped me with some filming and I saw the improvements I wanted to make form there. Specifically, I wanted to actually shoot it myself on a tripod and move the camera my self to record the segments I could see I wanted to piece together. So I literally moved the camera, set up the focus & timing for each shot while I sketched- I had my wife help me with a few shots I couldn't easily get myself towards completion. Then I put everything together in an apple based video editing program that I crash coursed my self in enough to get by. Last thing I did was write a short loop of a guitar tune and add it to the video (unfortunately it rendered quieter then planned, but its in there). I really just wanted to see what it would be like to put together a cool vid, Im actually really happy with it for what it is. I also like how it shows the general process I use starting from Bic pens going in to ink, then paint. Hopefully it will help answer some questions I've gotten on the process, and certainly if you do have a question- feel free to ask!

How I Start and Finish New Artwork Almost Everyday (the answer may surprise you!)

Let me start by saying Yes- artwork is what I do for a living, full time. I wake up, go down stairs, make coffee and pretty much dive in to whatever work is going to be done either starting from a sketch , going straight to canvas, or grabbing my computer. Let me also say on the onset that as the title says, I start and finish new artwork Almost everyday- I too like to take days off and go down to the sand, and some days we are so busy with print orders that there isn't time to dedicate to something new.

Some readers might say, "So if you do now artwork everyday, how come you don't post here everyday?"

That's a good question, reader- the answer is we're more focused on sharing new art and the processes on our social media platforms. Want to see it in action? Follow us on Instagram @Pinstripe_Chris or on Facebook @PinstripeChris 

Alright, to the point I'm looking to make-

So I do artwork for a living; more specifically Automotive artwork from paintings, to watercolors to digital art. Everyday of the week I have an opportunity to do something fresh and hopefully captivate my audience. Hopefully. Every single morning as I'm sipping my coffee im scrolling thru images of vehicles of many types looking for something that appeals to me that I can make a statement with. Sometimes it can be an hour and the coffee has gone could before I feel like I have somewhere to start. 

Then I break out pens and pencils and begin sketching to see where it goes. Sometimes it takes a few sketches to get what I'm looking for to move forward from. Then it's on to the stage of making the thing. Either transfer on to canvas or watercolor paper, or photo/scan and complete the paint digitally depending on the look and feel Im going for and the purpose of the artwork.

On a typical day I've gotten thru my entire process and photo'd my finished artwork to share by around 2 or 3pm (unless I got a late start or we had a busy morning with prints).

"Ok, so you can draw well and paint fast... how does that help me?"

While it's true that years and years of practice on a daily basis and having a huge stockpile of materials, tools, and mediums on hand keeps things flowing here at the studio (will cover that in a separate post), speed and efficiency is only part of the battle. 

Yes, spending a lot of time erasing isn't exactly forward momentum, but it is part of the process so dont be hard on yourself about it (I certainly have my share of mistakes I work out on paper). 

"So where are you going with this..?

Distractions- are a huge distraction. It's easy to have the tv on, music blasting, internet on, phone on- EVERYTHING ON. But, they cost you time. A LOT of time. You think erasing a lot is time consuming? I'm willing to bet you'll do more erasing if you're attention is not on what you're looking to make.

Some folks are better at working in hectic environments- I worked as a pinstriper for many years at motorcycle shops, I know all abouts it. But I would say it's not my preference. 

I know many artists who say they dont have as much time to draw as they would like. Think about the things you are doing with your time and consider what you are willing to do less of to make the time. Surely you can catch that episode on Netflix later on, or respond to your bestie in a little bit- they will understand. Being productive isn't hard, it just takes discipline. While Im drawing and painting my phone is on it's lowest setting and I will only answer if it rings- a FB notification is hardly a reason for me to stop. A lot of times I wear my fancy noise canceling headphones (which I very highly recommend) and put on classical or movie scores that dont have lyrics.

Simplify. Get yourself in the zone of what you are working and STAY there until you're ready to call it a day. Do you have to start and finish same day? Absolutely not. But clearing out some basic distractions will give you some mental space to stay focused on what's in front of you and not whats all around.

Next time you're ready to sit down and sketch, think about your environment; the lighting, the noises- anything that contributes to using your senses. Which things are going to take your focus away? Find them, and limit them if you can. You want to be using as much of your mental CPU on the main task in front of you- if you're trying to multi task or your brain is by being influenced by things around you, make a change. Sometimes I like to sketch at a local coffee shop- even tho it doesnt seem like a productive place, just the change of scenery is refreshing.

Go forth, readers- Draw the things and Limit your Distractions!

2013 Camaro Sketch & Render

Working on a quick render this morning of the 2013 Camaro Convertible sketch I posted last week. Since I sorted out quite a bit in my initial sketch, the final render went much faster as I already knew where to place everything. Although it seemed like I spent a little more time then usual doing some basic shading on the blue pencil sketch (which I rarely do), it saved me any time I would have spent thinking about how I was going to light & shade my final render. It's just like picking out all the markers, paints and tools I'm going to use before I get started- now I have everything I need to move forward 1 time, which is ultimately the biggest time saver. As far as lighting & shading goes, I always create what I call my own "Lighting Model" to simplify the shapes & contours in the render rather then complicate them with unnecessary reflection 'noise' that you might see in a lot of photographs. The lessons here, Less= More, and planning saves time. And of course, always have fun, and never stop learning.

Enjoy!

Sharpie Lettering "Jacob" PLUS a How To

Yesterday I evening I had a little extra time to pass so I grabbed a fresh sheet of 18"x24" drawing paper and started on a fresh piece. Anytime I'm uncertain of what the outcome will be, or if it's not a final piece, I'll usually do it on drawing paper since it's not as serious a loss as canvas, illustration board, or marker paper would be. So I set out to write the name "Jacob":

With my fresh sheet of paper tapped down to my desk to keep from shifting while working, I grabbed my trusty Sharpie Pro Fine Tip (4) and drew out the letters and how I wanted them to interact paying close attention to line clearances, line weights, and and black and white balance. With the basic lines down, I went heavier with black in areas to achieve the perspective I wanted. At this stage I only have the name outlined- none of the other black arrows or daggers that protrude outwards exist yet.

The next step is the red, so I grabbed my Copic Cadmium Red (5) to add the outline around the outsides of all the letters while again being slightly heavier in the direction of the perspective I'm working towards. I know right here people would be asking 'Why didn't you use a red Sharpie?'. In this case, brands like Copic and Prismacolor offer markers with incredible tone control- so I can build up to a nice bright red and even darken it in some areas with the same marker. This can be done with a red Sharpie as well as long as that shade of red is what you are looking for.

Next is to go back to the Sharpie Pro Fine Tip (4) and start working shapes into the remaining areas of white inside the letters- this will help balance the white and black a bit. While doing this, I also took some of the black outside the letters just to be more interesting overall. Again, that will help with the color balance.

The next thing I did was use the Sharpie .3 Pen (6) and sharpen all the corners and tips that way I want.

Now I can see how much room I have around the letters... so I decided to grab a low pressure Paint Sprayer (1) and fill it with a mix of Basics Acrylic Black (2) and water to dilute it to my liking. It ends up being mostly water since I want the black to be pretty week. Outside the paper is masked off to keep overspray from getting on the desk. The result of a couple passes around the edges is a nice course gravely effect.

With that dry I used a White Sable Brush (8) with the same acrylic black mix from the spray and start painting in spider cracks. At first they dry grey, which is good because you dont want them too strong at first. Slowly I'll add a little more black paint to the mix and work the lines until the darkest parts are concentrated towards the outer edges, while the lighter grey is closer to the letters. This helps keep the center of focus on the letters, but still allows for a little detail around the edges making the drawing feel more complete.

Now that the border is done, time for some airbrushing with my trusty Iwata Eclipse (7) which has been converted from a .5mm nozzle to a .35 mm. I'll make up a mix of Craftsman Acrylic Black (3) and water until I get the transparency of grey I'm looking for- again basically mostly water with a little black in it. I used a different brand of black from the earlier step because the Craftsman brand is a little thinner and goes through the airbrush easier then the diluted version of Basics I think. It'll take a couple passes over the shadowed and shaded area to get the tone I want but thats ok- I'd rather build up the tone slowly with a weaker mix of transparent black then out too much down too quickly and ruin the whole effect. The shadows themselves also have to placed correctly in order for certain effects to really work- in which case light source and perspective come into play. But done with care, shading and shadows have a big impact in the final piece.

The result is something wickedly cool and totally unique. From start to finish this piece took about 1 1/2 hours to complete including dry time in between acrylics, and everything was done completely freehand.

Thanks for looking!