DEATH IN THE FAMILY. RIP my poor PC

Hope you guys have been enjoying the Riverdale series that I've been posting. There's still lots to upload, and I've recently completed "Miss Grundy," and "Big Ethel". I would love to show them to you but can't.

There's been a death in the family.

My computer started acting buggy last week, opening up windows, error messages popping up, and shutting programs unexpectedly. I'm fairly anal when it comes to maintaining my system, since it's my chief form of finance, so I ran all kinds of tests, to fix the problem,without my usual success. Finally I installed a killer anti virus program that I hoped would kill the nasty little virus so I could continue with my happy computing.
It installed correctlY, and I looked forward to being up and running again in minutes.

That's when the war started.

I'm no computer expert, but it was like there was this mini war that was activated in my system, judging from the noises I could hear coming from the processor. It was like a combination of the Jedi knights vs the mongul hordes vs The United states Calvary,vs yo' angry mama!
When the shaking ceased and the smoke cleared, I peeked at my monitor only to be confronted by a sight no user wants to see...

THE BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH

It was like looking into the abyss...

I'm in the process of replacing my system, and also recovering from bookmarks on my backside placed by me for not having the foresight of backing up my system enough. I have an expert looking into whether I can recover some of my files, hopefully I will have good news at the end of the day.
As I type this post on my little iPad It occurs to me how funny things "just seem to work out" If not for me winning this iPad weeks ago, I would literally be cut off temporarily from the online world where a lot of my living is done.
Conincidence?

I'd like to say it's God's Providence.

R

ipad cartoon of BETTY COOPER from "THE RIVERDALE HIGH" project by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

BETTY COOPER is the "Sweetheart of RIVERDALE" in the ARCHIE COMICS Universe. She is the "All American Girl Next Door " stereotype of the 1940's 50's. Pretty without being glamorous, unpretentious, caring , giving and sweet. Betty is the girl who remembers your birthday, brings post roast to the new neighbors ,or bakes you an apple pie "just because."
I gotta admit, as a character, it's pretty hard to dislike Betty. Even though she a fabrication, there's something in her that makes you wish, on some level she was your girl. Betty is the kind of girl you marry, and rightfully so. Not only is she attractive,and a good cook, but she's also smart, and agreeable. Betty is the shoulder you can cry on and she'd never tell your secret. She's honest and forthright, which is why I didn't caricature her TOO much....
But Betty has this flaw, which says a lot about her as a person, and it's called,
ARCHIE.
Given her character Betty is the "natural" match for Archie, just as Reggie is the "natural" match for Veronica. Betty loses her composure frequently around Archie who clearly treats Betty like the "throw away second string girl".
Betty is the girl ARCHIE comes running to when VERONICA gets angry with him, or when MR. LODGE throws him out. Not wanting to be "dateless" for the evening , ARCHIE knows that he can count on ole' Betty to welcome him with open arms and apple pies.
BETTY has so much going for her and yet has no self esteem, in my opinion.Smart, pretty, athletic, but a warped sense of self. Clearly, Betty by her behavior, doesn't recognize the "catch" that she is, and continues to ward off all suitors so that she might make herself available for the one guy who doesn't see her as his first choice. As Ive already stated, ARCHIE is kind of a dunce, by any casual observation, and if ANYTHING he NEEDS Betty more than she needs him, but I guess its part of the crazy love game to always want someone who doesn't really want you.

I gave BETTY this earnest, "LIKE ME, LIKE ME, LIKE ME!" expression, and persona because in the comic that is whom she seems to be. She seeks to BUY her way into ARCHIES heart and he's just not THAT much into her.

Whats ironic about Betty is that her main rival for ARCHIE'S affection, recognizes her for the threat that she is. Veronica, with all her beauty and finance knows she cant compete with Betty on a human level.

JANIS IAN At Seventeen...

Got unexpectedly sentimental here when I ran across this song I used to listen to when I was a teenager. If you've ever been a shy, awkward, introspective teenager, this song, "At Seventeen" Will resonate with you. And while it's true that it's targeted at women, I'm sure a lot of guys turned their radios up and shut they're doors to cry a tear or two, when it played. I found two great versions, the original, when she was a young woman, and another, as an older woman. The later version resonates much more given the introspective nostalgic nature of the lyrics.

ipad CARICATURE of App Store Employee RYAN WEISHEIT by Subwaysurfer

Lately Ive been devoting a lot of time to the characters in my RIVERDALE HIGH series, and WE ARE NOT DONE YET!!! I will be posting another surprise character very soon, but for this post, I would like to present my very first, "real" ipad caricature of a real person. Actually my first.
Approx two weeks ago, I entered the APPLE STORE on 14th Street in the village,ipad in hand , to get some first hand instruction by one of the capable Apple staff members. One thing I LOVE about the Apple store is the hours, and also the friendly, knowledgeable staff. Whenever you step into an Apple store you KNOW you AREN'T going to get any "attitude" and that the staff members are going to be more than helpful.
One such member, is Ryan. I approached Ryan initially because he reminded me of the late graffiti artist, Keith Haring. He didnt LOOK like him exactly, just reminded me of him.... I had to laugh as I explained the Ryan WHO Keith Haring was, and he promised me he would check him out. I went on to ask Ryan questions about how to do various things in my ipad without crashing it, and was excited to demonstrate to him what I could do with my new app, Art Studio, that I had downloaded a day earlier. Ryan posed for a quick sketch and requested an email right away which I did. I promised him that as i got better I would email him a more finished copy, and today I completed this one.

I am not entirely pleased with my likeness, but the painting itself is a good first attempt at something I know Im going to get better at. Im already moving a lot easier through the program, using the brushes and adjusting the settings are beginning to become second nature. I await the day when I perfect my process and take my show on the road, which will be SOON.


JUST IN CASE YOU DONT KNOW WHO KEITH HARING IS

Digital Caricature artist Pioneer Rhoda Grossman By Elgin Bolling

Im having a ball doing this digital Ipad drawing! and in all my excitement, I called to mind a true inspiration, and a pioneer of this whole digital cariacature movement, that may have been previously "unsung"

That person is Rhoda Grossman


Rhoda is one of if not THE "MOTHER" of the digital caricature movement, who had the foresight/insight to jump headlong into digital caricature at a time when most of her peers, myself included, were busy sharpening our pencils and buying paper. Rhoda is being "academic" on this vid for educational purposes obviously and doesn't come CLOSE to exhibiting her engaging humorous personal that makes her a joy to be around .

You don't just "meet" Rhoda, you ENCOUNTER her! Rhoda is a pint sized force of nature with a large personality that dwarfs the size of her physical frame.

I encounter her at my very first NCN Caricature Convention in Las Vegas. I was relatively new to the industry, v4ry green, and Rhoda, a respected professional in the industry, made me feel welcome and part of the group.
Even after all these years, I still tear up, recalling the words, she said to me, "you're home. You've finally connected with a group of people who are just as wacky as you are!" And it was true/ Sometimes as an artist in the "real world' "regular people" just dont "get you". Her words gave me a lot of encouragement that day and carried me throughout the week.
Many times she would "check on me" during the week long event, to see how I was doing, and was always encouraging, with both words and advice. She was the first person who advised me on how to draw in the Speed Competition, and although I didn't win, I made it the last heat of the finals.

Some of the best times I had that week was sharing lunch with her and her crew, where we talked for hours.

Rhoda was the first one I ever got a digital caricature from , and its one of my prized possessions. I marveled at the ease with she drew on this thing and more than once I was scratching my head, wondering how she was even doing this!

Whats even more remarkable about Rhoda is that she was doing this as an "older artist". Most of us "old folk" resist change, and like doing the same old things the same old way. Now, the rest of the world is catching up with HER!

All I've got to say to her is, "THANKS MOM!" you lit the match up under me, now stand back and watch me burn!!

ipad cartoon of DILTON DOILEY from "THE RIVERDALE HIGH" project by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

DILTON DOILEY is RIVERDALES resident Nerd slash boy Super Genius. Personally, I don't even know why he exists in the ARCHIE COMICS universe. He doesn't DO anything, he's hardly featured, and what's the use of a Nerd character anyway if he's NOT going to be occasionally the butt of a cruel joke? Even the infamous REGGIE MANTLE gives DILTON a "pass".

IMO the original creators of the character didn't go far enough, visually. If you're going to HAVE the character anyway, you may as well make him more odd than all the rest. The only thing they succeeded in doing is making him short and giving him glasses...whoopie.... funny.

If your going to give him glasses, give him coke bottle one so think they are embedded in his skull. Give him a uni-brow while you're at it and let's not forget the customary bucked teeth, and we are now talking total GEEK!

For a Nerdy character, DILTON surprisingly has a great head of hair. A little large in fact, like a big pompadour. I started to give him a muti colored Mohawk, but felt that would make the character too unrecognizable to fans who may be upset with my butchering anyway.

Not much more to say about the character psychologically speaking, as in my other posts. He's just NOT that interesting.
The Only unique thing about DILTON is that he is MOOSE'S BEST FRIEND, who refers to him in some of the comics as "little buddy". He's also never had the privilege of a legendary MOOSE beat-down for daring to look at his gurl, MIDGE. Perhaps that is why MOOSE is so comfortable with DILTON. He sees him as no threat, and maybe as someone who he aspires to be, in terms of intelligence.

ipad cartoon of JUGHEAD JONES from "THE RIVERDALE HIGH" project by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

Jughead is my favorite character. Out of all the characters in the ARCHIE COMICS universe, JUGHEAD is the most "self actualized" . Jug is in total control of his emotions. He Never gets upset, and has almost a spiritual air about him.  As the Drummer for the band, he's literally the one who "keeps the beat" that others follow to. Although known most for his voracious appetite, he is also very artistic, having done in the comics, performance art, and painting. In his interactions with the other characters,Jug  is always unruffled, and not in a hurry. Even Reggie when he tries to harass him with his trademark cruel  practical jokes, they all somehow end  up backfiring. Jug just has a cool vibe.
As with all of my Riverdale make overs, on the ipad, as Im painting/drawing I make up little "back stories" to get into the character, so here's JUGS Backstory...

If you've ever read the  Little Archie series where the Riverdale gang are depicted as children, you'll notice that JUGHEAD has this enormous size HEAD and the ever present crown.  Reggie Mantle, being the pain in the butt that he is one day Young Forsythe (Jughead's Real name) and says, "Look at the size of your WATER HEAD!! It's like a JUG!" Reggie laughs at his own joke, and proceeds to tease him all day with the new insult, "JUGHEAD" Now Jughead, being the cool character that he is, turns insult into victory by NOT reacting negatively to the name, but by not only answering to it unemotionally, but also introducing himself to others as JUGHEAD JONES.  Reggie  storms off angry that he did not succeed in ruffling Jughead's feathers, and the nickname sticks.
JUGHEAD also can stand for the ever present hat that he wears. In my "RIVERDALE UNIVERSE" Jughead is NEVER with out a hat, or a "JUG" on his head, and in additions to the crown, which is his favorite wears several others.

once again, this seems like a LOT of excessive thinking, to "just draw a picture" but as creators, we have to "breathe life" into our creations, and one way to do that is through the use of "back story" as talked about here. This is just another of my winning methods to help bring my cartoons to life.

Dont worry, Im saving the gurls for LAST! there's still Veronica, Betty, Miss Grundy, Midge, and my favorite, BIG ETHEL to do!   For my next project, I think I'll draw DILTON DOILEY, Riverdales official "Nerd"

Glad you folks are enjoying this series, I initially thought it up as a way to practice my digital Ipad Painting, but like most art it has taken on a life of its own!

ipad cartoon of REGGIE MANTLE from "THE RIVERDALE HIGH" project by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

The way I see it, in the ARCHIE COMICS universe, REGGIE MANTLE is the coolest character. Reggie stands out from the rest of The Riverdale cast of characters because we know so little about him. I'm not a "die hard" ARCHIE COMICS historian, but I've read the series enough to never recall EVER seeing Reggie's parents or any other family member for that matter. Why is that? I think because the original writers of the ARCHIE COMICS series wanted to pen him as the "villain" Archie's nemesis, and as such, we couldn't make him as "human" as Archie. To give Reggie brothers and sisters, not to mention loving mom and dad, would definitely turn the barometer down on the Reggie Mantle "hate " factor. But we DONT hate Reggie, do we? Reggie is a kind of lovable rouge. He's not rich, but always seems to have money. He drives a fancy car, has no problem with the ladies, and gives Archie a run for his money with Veronica, who I feel , is Reggies natural "soul mate". She knows it too, which is why she cant stop dating him occasionally.

In my depiction of Reggie, I chose to give him "devilishly good looks" Reggie doesn't have a big ego for no reason. He KNOWS he's Hot! The Reggie In my cartoon universe, also has shorted his name to REG after all, he was called "REGGIE" when he was a kid, but now that he's a suave hunk of riverdale beefcake , he needs a name to fit his suave persona.

ipad cartoon BIG MOOSE From The Riverdale High Project Subwaysurfer

 

 Riverdales High School Jock, BIG MOOSE, is one interesting character in the Archie Comics Universe. Moose is always drawn as this hulking dumb but lovable character, when if you really read the comic, he's anything BUT that. First off, He's at one time or another beaten up EVERY major Male Character in the Archie Comics universe, including  some "red shirts" to use the star trek term, who appear every now and then, whose sole purpose is to be pounded by MOOSE. The cause of Moose's rage is his terrible temper as he calls it... we call it ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES... which is always ignited because he catches someone "lookin at Muh Gurl!" That "gurl" would be Midge, who seems nice enough, but suspiciously NEVER hangs out with Betty and Veronica... WHY is THAT??  I say it's because she's scared of MOOSE like everyone else is!! I mean if he's willing to pound someone who poses a threat to the object of his affection, what's he likely to do with the woman who breaks his heart? Midge isnt even THAT devoted to MOOSE. We see this as upon occasion sh has dated ARCHIE when He has successfully outsmarted MOOSE, and also doesnt mind talking to REGGIE... who is my next ipad target.

This is WAYYYY Too much thinking for one cartoon, but that tends to happen when I really get into a drawing.

This is why I drew MOOSE like the savage beast that I know that he IS!! The only think keeping the hapless males of RIVERDALE from sudden death is MIDGE! LOL!

ipad cartoon of ARCHIE ANDREWS from "THE RIVERDALE HIGH" project by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

Been playing with this idea for a long time, and finally decided it would be fun to do with the ipad since it has all these crazy fun brushes. I always felt comic book icon, Archie Andrews of Riverdale needed a visual makeover, and while the whole gang has gotten an update lately in their comics. (yeah, I ADMIT IT! I STILL read ARCHIE COMICS!) although a little more realistic looking, they kinda look the same. I wanted to go with the "ARCHIE VIBE" but play with the proportions a little bit, and came up with this pic about 45 minutes later. This was a fun exercise which released my creativity, and gave me an opportunity to explore the Art Studio app further. I happen to like Art Studio a little more than the much applauded Sketchbook Pro App. Art Studio seems more intuitive for me in some way.
I plan on drawing the whole gang in The Riverdale High Series so stay tuned.

ARCHIE ANDREWS mystifies me. For all intensive purposes he should be the town nerd.Physically, His appearance is rather odd. Busy red hair , a big nose, an overbite, and freckles that decided to stay over on his face past childhood. Not to mention those thick black busy eyebrows of his. Yep, Archie SHOULD be the town Nerd, alright... But he isnt...He is a lovable Dunce who can afford a great car, is a klutz who cant to anything right, is constantly in trouble with his teachers and school principal for one mishap or another, and yet at the end of the day he has two of the most sought after girls in town competing for HIS attention, and if you read the comic like I do, he never seems to have trouble attracting female attention. He's even the rival of REGGIE MANTLE, Who is not only one of the COOLEST guys in the Archie Universe, but In my view, the PROPER match for Veronica. And Yet, Archie, in all his "dopiness" gets the girl.....
I get the old saying is true.
Some guys got "IT" and some guys Dont,
and in spite of his obvious shortcomings ARCHIE ANDREWS and Got PLENTY of that elusive "IT" that Most of us Males wish we had in High School.

More NEw York subway caricatures

He Had GREAT Hair But Did NOT want to be Caricatured!!! LOL! He kept turning his head, changing his position and GLARING at me! LOL! He kinda reminded me of 1950's strongman, Steve Reeves, From those Hercules Flicks waaaaay Back in the day..

This Guy was from out of town, on his way to JFK at Howard Beach, heading back home to parts unknown. He had this look on his face that said, "HI, ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE"

Wow, In all this digital caricature excitement, I totally forgot that I've been riding the subway and coming up with this great stuff here! LOL!  Enjoy!

Digital Caricature Of Subwaysurfer By ANGIE JORDAN

Some days I just sit back and smile thinking to myself how GOOD it is to be ME!  Not only have I been inspired by the best,  taught by the best, but also DRAWN by the BEST! Since I'm featuring so many of Angie Jordan's Vids here, I thought it only right to Show off My personal Digital Caricature Done by Angie herself! I've have some great artists draw me before, but Angie captured that "something" in my expression that makes this picture instantly recognizable. What an inspiration! As far as my digital caricatures go, folks, THIS is what I'm shooting for.

Angie Jordan: iPad Caricatures with iFaraday stylus and ArtStudio update

RASTA MAN ipad Caricature by Subwaysurfer

HEY! I think Im getting to LIKE this Digital Drawing thing! LOL! Sketchbook pro has got the COOLEST painting tools that makes painting hair a pure joy! I cant WAIT to show you what Im coming up with tomorrow! Practice makes perfect and this pic only took me 30 minutes... not perfect, STILL a LOT of work to go on my painting technique, but Im coming along... step by step... pixel by pixel...BIG SHOUT OUT TO KENLY DILLARD, who gave me some much needed instruction on painting...

I'm beginning to get a feel for the Pogo stick...ugh... The trick seems to be to NOT STOP when you're doing the serious part of the drawing. I also see that I probably WILL be going the "cartoony route" when I do this live. I saw an excellent vid by Angie Jordan where she demonstrates this,and MAN does that Lady know her stuff!

In search of the right Ipad Stylus...

It didnt take me very long to discover that the POGO STYLUS is NOT the best tool for drawing. It starts OUT well enough, fresh out of the box, and is good for about an hour of drawing, but its all downhill from there, IMO. The point of it literally drags across the screen, and is reminiscent of a giant cue tip. It just doesnt FEEL like a pen in your hand , and when I would hold my stylus at certain angles It had difficulty making a mark.

Needless to say, I am in search, like so many digital artists, who have come before, of the PERFECT  STYLUS! at least for ME.  I'm currently viewing as much material as I can on the subject, and of course I want the cost to be as minimal as possible, BUT am willing to "spend the money" just to find something that works.
For those of you who are ALSO looking, Maybe you may find the info below useful.
Gee... is it just ME, or did I actually make myself look like a Baby Gorilla in the caricature I drew of myself???

Ipad Caricature Cartoons by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

At the urging of Angie Jordan, The Worlds First ipad caricaturists, I purchased sketchbook Pro, the digital program of choice among caricature artists, and went to work on my first.SERIOUS color caricature using the software and this device. Right now I'm getting over the learning curve of adjusting to the slight time delay of the Pogo Stylus as it draws on the pad, the location and choice of different brushes and settings, as well as the art of painting itself, which until now, I all but ignored. I started the above sketch at 9pm last night working slowly in layers first laying down the initial blue line sketch in one layer, then gradually building up the color on subsequent layers. For an artist like me, who prides himself on his speed and accuracy, the slowing down process took a LOT of gettig used to, but was very satisfying as I explored new ways to color and shape my drawing like some digital sculpture. I looked up and it was 11PM. Where did the time go? I wasn't tired, and determined to COMPLETE this drawing, I put my head down, grasped a cup of lipton and continued. The next time I looked up it was 5 in the MORNING!! I had literally been at this for 8 hours!  This fact alone is phenomenal , as i am a BIG fan of getting a good nights rest, but like many people around the world, I am caught up in the ipads spell. It's not perfect, but Im very satisfied with the results of my second picture. It's GOT to get easier from here! I cant imagine going to a party and spending 8 hours on one face... unless its a very GOOD caricature!

WIth renewed confidence from the previous all nighter, I attacked this self portrait with gusto. As a result of my 8 hour ordeal, this painting came a lot easier, although it still wasnt QUICK. It took approx three hours to do. I wanted it to look kinda sorta realistic. Closer at least to how I actually draw caricatures. I can see by the way the materials perform, or at least the way I interact with them , that when I start using the ipad for party caricature I will probably lean more in the direction of cartoony caricatures, rather than the cartoon portraits  that I normally do. On another note, I can see the ipad is excellent for making quick wireframe sketches and later printing out the result to go over in marker like I have done for years.

Keep drawing... you really WILL Improve. Lessons from DJ DAZE By Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

The old adage, "Practice makes perfect" is a timeless truth that applies to any endevour, especially the art of caricature. Make no mistake about it, CARICATURE DRAWING IS NOT EASY. I meet folk all the time, most of them artists, who think that it is. Being able "to draw" doesnt always translate into being able to draw exaggerated, AND be able to get a dead on likeness. Add the additional element of a live screaming crowd, blaring music, and a time constraint of a live party event, and most of your artistic skills get left in the studio.
Ive seen it happen. It aint pretty.

Reflecting back on when I was a young caricature artist just starting out, I wanted to draw exaggerated right away, and in my arrogance, thought that just because "I could draw",that exaggeration would be another artistic skill I'd pick up easily, and add to my toolbox.

I struggled though, for many YEARS in fact.

I'm Really just beginning to understand how to do this.
A little.
But Ive also learned that we should despise our small beginnings, nor our baby steps. I found an old caricature recently in a sketchbook of DJ DAZE, who according to my blog stats, is a very popular picture that people come to check out.

DJ DAZE, is a Bodybuilder also, who I met several years ago while my son was in Hiah School. We were both attending a school play, and he was sitting next to me and I struck up a conversation which turned to caricature. I drew him that evening and gave him a copy of the picture after drawing one for myself. DAZE was a bodybuilder back then, as he is now , just a little smaller. As time went on, and as I went to several plays, Daze got bigger and bigger and my talent improved as well. I recall asking him and the picture you see posted is the result.

Daze's condition was remarkable, and was a perfect mirror image of how my own skill at drawing evolved over time also. While I was not lifting barbells, I was working out at the drawing board learning anatomy, exaggeration, and shading and the results were night and day. To me They appear to be drawn by different artists.

Im taking a long time to say that you really CAN improve IF YOU KEEP AT IT. Keep plugging away and keep continuing to push and challenge yourself as an aritst and you WILL improve if you don't quit.

Just ask DJ DAZE, he'll tell ya!

 

Ronald Mc Donaldhouse Fundraiser Caricature By Elgin SUBWAYSURFER Bolling

The Weather That day was GORGEOUS!!! Considering that the day before was raining cats and dogs in my neck of the woods, The Fact that it was a beautiful sunny , 68 degree day was a gift from God.  I was hired by my agent, to draw caricatures two Saturdays ago for a fundraiser  at Ronald Mc Donald house on The Fashionable East Side. I drew a lot of kids that day, but this particular couple stands out, being the only couple who stopped to be drawn. It was there first time drawing a caricature together and they were very much in love and it was apparent. I sang impromptu to the couple , and they both enjoyed it! For the lady, I sang Bobby Darin's hit, "Beyond the Sea" and finished off "my set" with Frank Sinatra's "I've got the world on a string" When I finished my serenade, I happily handed them the caricature and exclaimed, "Not only did I draw an excellent picture, but also created a memory for you two every time you hear that song! " That's why I DO with my art folks, I help to "DRAW PEOPLE CLOSER TOGEHTER" Pun intended!

FIRST IPAD CARICATURE by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

 

Now that the excitement has worn off with my recent winning of the iPAD from authorSTREAM.com, I felt it was time to start learning how to use this thing to draw caricatures. I went to the APP Store on 14th Street and 9th ave in NYC , purchased a POGO STYLUS, downloaded Sketchbook Pro (At the urging of Angie Jordan) and started sketching.   I looked around for a suitable , interesting subject and stopped at Apple worker, RYAN WEISMEIT. Ryan reminded me of grafetti legend, KEITH HARING, and I immediately approached him and commented on the resembulance. 

Ryan, didnt know who Keith was, surprisingly, but was delighted that he looked like a famous person, and gladly posed for a picture. THIS was the end result of my FIRST iPAD Sketch, and I could tell that Im going to have a LOT of fun with this program.  I I eventually went on to clean up my lines, and colored the picture in, but sadly I accidentally ERASED the finished illustration.

Apparently I need to practice a LITTLE more with my ipad to get acquainted! 

Im still a little shaky on using the POGO on the iPad screen. Thee's a learning curve that I have to overcome before I'm at the point where I feel satisfied with my drawing style, but I wanted to share with you my progress as I continue to explore and improve. Stay tuned for some video Im putting togehter!

HOW TO DRAW HAIR step by step By Elgin SUBWAYSURFER Bolling

Hair can be a challenge to draw at live events especially if you're drawing AFRICAN AMERICAN HAIR Particularly on women and girls. Let me tell you folks, African Americans are world renknown for their creativity, the hair and the scalp is just another canvas! Drawing the confusingly intesne configuration of braids, curls and twists can frustrate even the most experienced artist. But if you have a PLAN it gets a whole lot easier. This is Legend, a beautiful young lady I drew recently at her birthday party, follow along with me step by step.

STEP 1
I start off by making a "wire frame" sketch of the face and the hair. I'm pretty loose at this stage and draw very quickly trying to get in as much "personality " into the pic as possible. I find that if I draw slower I lose some of that excitement. Even though I'm doing a "studio piece" of sorts, I still use a looser form of this initial "wireframe" sketch when I draw Live at events, using a light gray marker, or if Im drawing in color, a flesh colored art stixx.

STEP 2
Once Im satisfied with the wireframe, I begin to ink the drawing, making adjustments, if necessary, as I go. If Im drawing live, this is the stage where I give the person a second look, to see what I've missed. Im drawing here with a good ole' Black SUPER SHARPIE. I 've grown to like the consistent line it gives me, and unlike my favorite Tombo Brush pens, or Pitt Markers, SHARPIE has NEVER failed me, so I tend to stick with him these days. I give the face a LOT of attention at this stage, saving the hair for last, as I know it's the most challenging. At this stage, Im very careful to get the expression right in the eyes, and since this is a child I especially try to avoid drawing the chin too long , which "ages" a child with a single incorrect stroke of the pen.

STEP 3 and 4
In this close up Notice How I draw "THROUGH " the body. I know that Im going to fill in that area with black cater, so I dont worry about it at all. This young lady has dreads, and twists, which are rather large. in the old days I drew EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE complete with inking and it took a LONG time. It's a lot easier to relate to the hair NOT as "hair" but as a SHAPE. I look at the individual locks/strands/twists. like they are a type of container. Doing this helps me to become very loose with my drawing of the hair, and takes away that "stiff" look. Notice also how I've sketched the braids on the side of the head to follow the contour of the head shape. This is very important to get a more realistic effect.Ive also drawn each individual braid as an "X" which forms another "container" This process can be drawn surprisingly quickly. and takes the worry out of the inking stage to follow.

STEP 5

Inking is the fun part! For this job, the SUPER SHARPIE Marker is much too slow. For drawing hair I ALWAYS use Tombo Brush pens. The Brush allows me to use light quick, bold strokes, that add a sense of LIFE to the hair. Notice how I leave just enough white space to give off the illustion of light as it "shines" on the hair. Adding this illusion is very important, and a skill that you just must practice over and over again to get the right "feel"

I've found that if you dont include that "shimmering" quality to hair, your model will appear to be wearing a "plastic cap" that is "supposed to be their hair" Ive seen so many good caricature artists not give the hair the concentration and attention it deserves and ti weakens the drawing. When When doing the hair, try to have your strokes going in the same direction. This is one of the subtle ways you help to "lead the eye" of the viewer, and not create confusion. If you dont do this consistently, your viewer will think something is "wrong" with the picture but wont be quite able to put their finger on it.

STEP 6
The smallest braids on the side of the head can be inking with the Tombo as well, but a better choice is the smaller Pitt Pen. It's especially important when doing the braids to allow that "white space' arear in the middle to show, otherwise your braids will lose that 3D quality and will be a black mess... To make the hair even more realistic I take a fine point pen and draw "loose strands," of hair on each dread to make it appear more lively.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Hair is difficult to draw AT FIRST, but once you get the hang of it,You'll [ut any hair designer to shame!