Here is something a little different from my usual work. Jennifer Turner, the writer of a series of vampire novels, commissioned this image of Stefan Nelak, and we’re both very excited about it. It’s intended for the character page on her website; darknesswithinnovels.com. Hope you enjoy, she’s asked me to illustrate more characters from her books, as well as the cover of her third novel. So there are more vampires on the way. Maybe a werewolf or two (my all time favorite classic monster).
In case you were wondering, his eyes were gouged out with hot pokers.
Final Sketch
Thumbnail Sketches
Different designs for Stefan's face and scar patterns
This one was a bit of an experiment for me. My usual technique involves scanning a light graphite drawing, which relies on an outline to establish the major shapes of the subject matter. Here I've started with a watercolor painting, using only a single hue to establish value and form as well as shape.
My goal was to reduce the scratchiness of the graphite technique, to soften the edges and to cut down on the production time. I think it did reduce the scratchiness but everything else was a bit of a disappointment. This technique added about a week and a half to my usual work time. I missed my deadline by about a week; I made up the rest by skimping on sleep time.
I value experimentation, but at the end of the day the image has to work and it has to be on time.
