ImagineFx_-_December_2019

UNIQUE WAYS TO

CREATE PORTRAITS

Jenn Ravenna encourages you to free yourself from the daily grind of

methodical techniques and try out new approaches in your personal art

This workshop will

look at the process of

pure exploration in

personal work. When

talking to my peers, we

often lament on how difficult it is to

find the time to explore our own

work and process. It seems like we

never do enough of it.

Every day we’re bombarded with

dozens of tasks we’re expected to do

as artists. These range from paid-for

work and participating in challenges,

to working on our portfolios and

honing our skills by doing studies.

And with social media constantly

tempting us with a new hot trend, it

can be hard to find the time to let our

minds wander on the canvas.

I believe it’s healthy to let your

imagination breathe a little bit and

let yourself explore with no purpose.

With patience and time, sometimes

this is where artists can find their

voice, discover a new technique, or

even find a new medium they enjoy.

I didn’t have a plan going into the

sketch, but the end result was an

interesting peek into my

subconscious and a good style

exercise. The portrait ended up being

a symbolic representation of some

personal feelings I’ve had over the

past year. The Chinese porcelain

represents my own fragility and

heritage, the f lorals represent growth

and a love for tattoo design, the

makeup relates to being a bisexual

woman and being able to explore

that identity this year. Exploring your

art means also discovering yourself,

and that’s pretty cool.

1

Create a loose sketch

When sitting down and starting a personal portrait,

I like to begin with a super low-commitment sketch. It’s

simple, and it’s just for the gesture and pose. It doesn’t

have to be the prettiest sketch. To this very day I have a

difficult time drawing from imagination, so I make sure

to find a good reference image when I start.

2

Introduce loose flat colour

An important part of the exploratory process is

laying down some kind of colour scheme as fast as

possible, because it sets the mood and tone for the image.

At this point I know I want the figure to be made of

Chinese porcelain – a symbolic element. I also think it

would be fun to paint a shiny material in a high-key

lighting situation, so I keep the palette light.

Photoshop

Jenn Ravenna

LOCATION: US

Jenn is a concept artist,

illustrator, photographer,

and aspiring

cinematographer. She

loves creating fantastical

words and narrative

storytelling through

compelling imagery.

http://www.jennravenna.com

Artist

PROFILE

PHOTOSHOP

HARD ROUND BRUSH

For edge control, carving

out graphic shapes, and

painting hard highlights.

For quickly establishing

values, rendering, and

producing soft shadows.

DEFAULT BRUSHES:

SOFT ROUND BRUSH

Workshops