Lighting, Likeness and More Improvements

Sometimes in my work, I simply cut off parts of the subject. Let me explain that better – I'm not a serial killer, but sometimes I feel that it is totally possible to split and mess up parts of a face. Okay, I'm still sounding a little manic, but anyway, in the J.K. caricature this wasn't the case. I did try doing this, but the result was better when I just put everything together (what a coward I am!). I fixed some proportions and distortions, and gave more attention to the likeness. After that I added a smooth rim light to highlight some volumes (Fig.06).


At this stage, I started adding the details and had fun painting this piece. This was a personal piece, and I always believe that this kind of job needs to be fun and an enjoyable way to study.

Details and Skin Texture

In this job I didn't created special brushes to paint skin and hair details. I tried to use brush stroke gestures to create textures and details. This little challenge reminded me of when I used to paint these kinds of details with real oils and brushes (Fig.07 – 09).

Adjustments

A final step that I do in my paintings is to create adjustment layers to correct some colors and bring out what I judge to be important elements. When I focus in on painting details and even through all the stages of painting, I tend to let everything become too highlighted.

I created a Levels adjustment layer to increase contrast, changing the relationship between the darker and brighter areas a little bit. Curves adjustments helped me to change high and low values of each color channel separately. Using Color Balance adjustment, I left diffused colors warm and shadow colors slightly cold. At last, I painted a color layer with rosy tones in the cheeks, nose and chin, to saturate the skin color in these areas slightly (Fig.10).

Conclusion

In my caricature work, I really try to register what I am able to capture about the subject's personality. I don't like to literally draw things that could underestimate who will look at the final picture. I also like to try challenging and diverse approaches, to experience things that inspire me to move on. The process has to be enjoyable, never boring. This illustration was no exception. This work encouraged me to try more and more, which is exhilarating because I am always anxious to do my next painting.