A portrait sketch of a half-elf swashbuckler based on the actor Luke Pasqualino.
This half-elf swashbuckling portrait is actually based on Luke Pasqualino, from the Musketeers, or at least that's where I know him from. I thought he would make a great half-elf, and I think I captured his likeness fairly well.
As I've discussed in the past, capturing likeness is definitely a skill, and it gets easier the more familiar you are with the person. These portraits are often just my morning warm-up, so I'm usually only spending an hour to an hour and a half on them. So, when I successfully capture a likeness, I definitely feel accomplished.
I think it's important to work on likeness as a character designer and illustrator because it helps you avoid what's called "same-face syndrome," where an artist gets comfortable drawing one type of face and continually falls back on it. It can be tempting to rest on a result, but I find that exploration is one of the things that always keeps me coming back to drawing.
I love the daily practice of sketching because it allows me to continue that exploration. In a way, sketching is a lot like hiking a new mountain. No matter how many mountains you've climbed in your life, each one is a new journey.
That’s all for now. As always, keep drawing and keep creating!
