Colored Pencil Demonstration 119Sometimes I incorporate my wife,
Brandon, who is a wardrobe stylist
to advise me on clothing or where
to purchase special and hard-to- nd
clothes. Since my work is in one color,
we nd garments with texture and
patterns that translate into a black-
and-white drawing with tonal balance
and contrast. On set, I may have ve
to seven various out t changes to
ll ve concepts. If needed, I may
hire a hair stylist and/or makeup
artist. From my shoot, I may have
a selection of approximately 200
photographs, ve to six di erent looks
and poses to edit and create reference
photos draw from.The Portrait
My proprietary technique, Drawing
by Subtraction, can be compared to
the peeling of an onion. I literally
peel away layers of pigment to create
a tonal value with the use of erasers,
sponges, blending tools and black
colored pencil.Final Word on Creating
Innovative Portraits
Very often, artists will commit to a
concept that came too easily feeling that
they’re being “innovative”—without
rst having explored countless other
possibilities or explore the potential
for something original. ey avoid
what they see as work, not realizing
that the creative process is essential to
innovation.
My advice to young inspiring artists:
make it your own.Suddenly Watching my Line of Tether Disappears, colored pencil on Grafi x® Drafting Film, 23 x 36" (58 x 91 cm)
The last tiny bit of perceivable stable ground fades into the horizon as I loosen my grip. Suddenly my line of tether disappears. In your journey you are trying to
secure a need for something tangible—something to grasp on to. There is no parachute. You are entirely alone. You have severed your ties with the past, to
embark on an expedition toward a new journey, a new destination. We just have to keep reminding ourselves that everything is constantly shifting, changing and
growing—and without transformation, nothing can survive.