The process

Typically, when I begin a realistic portrait I will grid the photograph that I am working from and then scale up to the canvas size. This takes time and precision so I can ensure that all of the proportions will be accurate and i can then purely focus on creating the subject. In some of my drawings you may see traces of the grid which I do not always like to completely erase as it was part of the process and is therefore engraved into the drawing. I usually begin the creative process with the eyes, the most crucial part of any portrait, in my opinion. It also helps that it is my absolute favourite feature to draw altough it does take a large chunk of time to perfect. Most of the subjects character is created from the eyes, the look they give, the emotion behind the eyes and they story they are expressing. From there, there is no normal order and I just feel my way through the rest of the portrait, often taking at least two weeks to fully complete.