Although I liked this boy, he wasn't the right kid for my project. It's sort of like when a casting director casts an actor for a film. Many good actors audition, but sometimes, you're just looking for a certain someone to fill the role. This guy wasn't Henry ...
Since the last actor was more refined, maybe I needed to audition someone with a little more spunk. I briefly experimented with someone who looked a bit more hyper, but realized he wouldn't work as Henry either. I put him in the back of my mind for later as well.
I worked through this process a few different ways, changing head shapes, body types and hair styles.
The last of many was a boy who looked like he was a rule follower like the first, but also could be a bit mischievous and curious like the second boy when the right moment presented itself. I experimented a bit with hair thickness and body lengths, as well as some various expressions and angles.
You may notice that each sketch was drawn with a different color pencil. I think every artist is quirky in one way or another. For me, if I'm not feeling the creative love from one pencil, I switch it up and try another. I rarely have luck with black or a traditional #2 pencil, but colors like red and blue seem to help me work well. Maybe it's something strange in my subconscious?
When I felt I'd doodled enough, I started on a sketch that would be my actor for my project. As time goes on, I may tweak him here and there. I'll probably draw or paint him a hundred times more to make sure he looks consistently the same each time. Just as an actor goes through makeup and costume, so too will this boy for Henry. In the drawing below, I started with a rough sketch using a blue pencil, and then layered additional color, thinking about Henry's wardrobe. Below is an initial sketch for Henry the Hero ...
Henry is an ambitious first grader and do-gooder with enough energy to bottle it and sell it to the military to help soldiers get through long deployments. He is very concerned with what sort of job he will do when he grows up. He wants to be a hero like his Dad.
Check back to learn more about Henry and my project.
Thanks for visiting!
I think this might be one of my favorite sketches! This is definitely something I'd be drawn to, as a parent, because of his open smile, mischievous nature, and energy levels. He's unique enough to make me feel as though I'm meeting him for the first time, and relatable enough (the energy level and hero like Dad) to make me want to introduce him to my kids!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I can't wait to get started on the story :)
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