The Process – Vue Privée’s Maiko

Client: Vue Privée’s Gallery

Brief: Aimed at capturing the elegance of Old Japan, seen through the lens of photographers living and working during the late Edo period (1872 – 1912). Using gallery owner’s private antique photos collection as inspiration.

Process: To start any project i always do extensive research for the items i planning to draw. Sometimes, even read up facts on them.

While looking for research i basically already have an image in my head on how i want my illustrations to be, so most of the time i only look for items that goes similar to that idea. Similar meaning; species of plants/animals, man/woman, dressing, pose, angle/view/perspective etc.

I do all the initial sketches on tracing paper, so i can overlay them on top one another to “check” if the composition works. And after that some minor adjustment/fine tuning will be done before i redraw the entire image as a whole.

Once the image is scanned onto Photoshop, i began an extensive cleaning up of tiny dust spots and pencil lines. Followed by pathing out the items that needed to be coloured. Here’s the view of my path window in Photoshop.

And also the process of colouring.

Even though i been given total freedom to create this piece, from time to time i do email the client on the sketch done for update, so to assure that i am on track and do not stray to far from the topic.

So here’s the finish piece!

Two most important tips i can offer to anyone.

A) SAVE YOU FILE

B) BACK UP FILES RELIGIOUSLY

Thanks for reading and comments will be very appreciated.

Fleecircus For Kult Magazine

Here’s my take on the theme “Artificial” for the next issue of Kult magazine
Do grab a free copy at most shops in town!

Pencil and Colour With Photoshop CS
Click On Image To View Details

Initial Sketch On Paper Before Colouring

PRACTISING PROCASTINATION

…. work can wait… a while

Taken from the sculpture Laocoön and Sons (Wrestling the Serpent) 1506
Mechanical pencil on Moleskine

Winged Victory of Somathrace (337-283 BC?)
Mechanical pencil on Moleskine

NOTE: Those red label dots i placed on the sketch are actually mistakes that i made; as my patience to get the details right was wearing a little thin, Gahhhh….!

Wishing you a 2009 filled daily with enriching experiences.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

SEASONS’ GREETINGS!

May Christmas fill you with joy and 2009 fill you with laughter.
Have a good one!

SINGHEALTH CALENDAR

I completed a series of illustrations for SingHealth calendar, the calendar will be given out free with purchase of January issue of Women’s Weekly. The design done by Ling from Nuts Ideas.
Each illustration are based on a specific theme given by the client, the aim was emulate something magical according with the theme. All illustrations are done with pencil on paper later coloured in Photoshop.

Weekly 15 Minute Portraits

Before “The Chairman” gets on my case for not posting on this blog, here’s something i did when my iMac crashed. While my replacement laptop occasionally made spinning “rainbow connection” when handling heavy Photoshop files. I will doodle to make the agony a little easier. All portraits are done under 15 minutes, and with no touch ups. You can view more drawings HERE.

Clockwise from top: Audrey Tautou, Willie Nelson, Hugh Laurie and TangWei

Batman Version 1.2

Inspired by Drewscape and AG.
Yes, a very misunderstood hero with no special powers.
This is batman being stood up…(again?)

SHOPHOUSE SKETCH

(click on image for a detail view)

Just sketching with 0.18 technical pen.
Combining the weird and acute of different angles to form an unlikely street scene.
(to heck with politically correct perspective!)

THANK YOU !!!

A big thanks to all those who came (will go) for the CIRCUS * SCAPE exhibition.
We couldn’t have asked for a better show!
Here are some pixs in case you missed it.
The exhibition will be on till 23nd November, before we hand it to Mindflyer & Andy Yang !
THANK YOU AGAIN!

SLEEP