Jensen - pencil sketch finished

[amberdreams]

So I have several versions here - edited to say - concrit is very welcome!!
First the final pencil sketch (photo of it anyway)

Then two versions with more shading added digitally
A lighter one

And a much heavier shaded version

I actually like both versions for different reasons.
And here's my final check against the original photo reference - not quite 'right' but I was half happy with the result.

So basically I have his head and ear a bit too small, the eyes are not quite spaced right and his mouth and nose aren't wide enough.  But it still looks a bit like Jensen, doesn't it?  I dunno!

Comments

[embroiderama]

I think you did a great job. Very, very pretty!

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[cassiopeia7.livejournal.com]

VERY nice work, bb! (Did you get to use the 8B pencil? I think I can see where you might have used it, in all the soft contouring of his face.) Like your crosshatching, too. (Crosshatching is the devil.)

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Thank you - and yes, I did brave the 8B! Lots of smudging using that one, and the 4B, round his face and for all the dark shaded areas too.

[blackrabbit42.livejournal.com]

I can't comment on technique or anything, but I think you did really well with this. I really like the darkly shaded version.

:)

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of angling towards that one too - it's amazing how much the extra shading has changed the shape of his face though!

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the note about the shading - you can see how brave I wasn't on paper! I do find it really hard to get the bold darks when working with real/traditional media (even using the 8B!)

[borgmama1of5.livejournal.com]

Very nice! Especially noticed the exquiste cheekbones, and love the intensity of the darker version!

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Thanks Betty - adding the extra shading did make it much more intense!

[odysseaia.livejournal.com]

!!! This is excellent! You really captured him with a few lines and added a detail that made it to my personal favorites: those tiny lines around his eyes. Wonderful :)

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Ha ha oh those lines! I actually put some more in than were on the photo because they had covered them with makeup and/or airbrushed out most of his lovely eye crinkles...

And thank you!

[odysseaia.livejournal.com]

I don't get why they insist on making those crinkles disappear. SPN is lucky enough to have a cast that actually looks more and more attractive the more they age - and they cover that up? Those crinkles, wrinkles and little imperfection is what sets Team Free Will apart as men as opposed to all those overly pretty teenagers.

...I might have gotten a tiny bit enthusiastic here. Love the crinkles, though. And the freckles. It's really hard to draw freckles.

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

Crinkles, freckles, moles, bow legs, stubble - love it all. And I was so pissed that in the promo poster they've photoshopped out Jensen's bow legs! (Or put his torso on someone else's legs IDK). And don't get me started about the weird distortion they've done to Jared in that pic!

[odysseaia.livejournal.com]

I didn't even look too long at the promo photo which is probably why I missed out on this blasphemy. The bow-legs are great! What is it with people being photoshopped into perfection and boredom? He's not a Ken doll, after all. Imperfection make a face (or person) interesting, in my opinion. So...long live the freckles, bow-legs, Jensen's crooked nose, Jared's cro magnon forehead and Misha's droopy eyes.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

he looks so young in the first pic! the two shaded versions make him look older - his face has more character. the first pic is still really nice, tho. he's just so pretty.

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

I have a tendency to prettify faces in my drawings anyway so digital shading was my friend in that respect here!

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

and the digital shading is really good! it's like you got three ages of jensen.

[amber1960.livejournal.com]

That's a good thought!