New Paths

Staring at this empty post box, I feel obligated to fill it with my signature loquacious ramblings--but the real reason for this fresh new blog is not to be a forum or an elaborate gallery, but just a home for posting little practices.  These will mostly be in the vein of random gesture drawings and figure studies, and maybe even prompted writing exercises, but occasionally I may also throw in some stuff from personal projects.  Regardless, whether they are rendered from paths of ink, dust, or pixels, the pieces you find here will all be a bit rough around the edges.

To start off, here's a study of a girl named Jenna West.  I saw her sitting up behind the pulpit before she gave her talk at church this past Sunday, and I was captivated by her hairstyle.

Originally I was just going to draw that cool hair on a blank "mannequin," but she also had a very pretty face and so I wanted to draw that too.  However, realism isn't my strong suit and I found myself battling my tendency toward anime stylization, which ultimately shows through to me especially in her face.  I kind of like it though.  I've never drawn a girl with such wide shoulders and been half so pleased with the result, so I may be on to something here. 

I wish I could have drawn her hair from the back and sides as well (it was pulled into a rough sort of ponytail that I found highly appealing), but, alas, I don't sketch quickly enough for that.  I can only stare at people like a creeper for so long before they notice...