PETER TODDS

Blog

  • Wow, so I finally did it.

    My first portfolio ever. Well, online that is. I’ve made one in collect, in one of those giant leathery folders. Physical copies and all.

    So… let’s take a look.
    I did about 10 pieces for editorial illustration. The workflow was extremely simple: Thumbnail sketches, 3 to 5 of them, followed by the actual illustrating, and then coloring. The final step was making the mockup of the magazine pages.

    I went with basic themes you would commonly find in articles, but for the art direction, I tried to be as literal as possible. Because I find that funny. I know it is usually metaphors and ambiguous illustrations.

    Here are the thumbnails:

    and then I chose whatever I liked as well as some I didnt like to simulate drawing them. (You can see the ones I like have a star next to them)

    These are what I drew in the end before making the mockup magazine pages.

  • Where do I even begin?

    Quite simple, really.


    I just drew and drew until I figured a style that would work for me. I always had the opposite of Artist’s Block. I’d call it something like… Artist’s Flood. I just had way too many ideas and styles that I would overwhelm myself and have no sense of direction. (Poor me! What will I do with all this talent?!)

    I started with drawing R2D2, okay wait, no, that’s a lie. I started drawing humans, hands, eyes… but I wanted to have a bit of fun with this.

    R2 followed shortly after. It didn’t matter what I drew, as long as I figured out the perfect harmony (at least for me) involving the inking and coloring.

    Here’s a few tests:


    And just like that, I am back at square one.
    I like all styles. I want all styles. But I have to make a choice.

    So I’m going to go forward with a fountain pen for the sketching/inking, and filbert brush for painting/coloring.

    I can always use the other styles another time.

    Here’s some prior examples.

    And even more, because why not.

    So that’s all for now. My iPad had given up on me, so all of this was done in Infinite Painter on a Samsung Tablet, just for your information if you ever wanted to try these brushes out. They look like this.