The Bat Orchard

A place for Eric Orchards comics, drawings, etc. www.ericorchard.blogspot.com https://twitter.com/Inkybat https://www.facebook.com/ericorchard

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Page 14!

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Page 7!

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‪Page 5 inked! 14 to go! ‬

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First three pages of Goblin Tea!

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Working on a new comic pitch! It’s about goblins and tea.

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‪Large Scale Drawing Process Part 6 https://www.patreon.com/posts/large-scale-part-18821361?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare‬

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I think she’s stolen a magical book and is protected by a blind dragon. #fantasyart #fantasy #fantasyillustration #illustrationart #illustration #commission #pencildrawing #fae #faerie #fairytail

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‪Part 5 of my series of posts on drawing. Free on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/posts/large-scale-part-18761587?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare‬

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The sorceress and the blind dragon progress. #fairytail #fantasyart #fantasyillustration #fantasy #highfantasy #dragon #witch #faerie #fae #illustration #illustrationart #pencildrawing

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‪Large Scale Drawing Process Part 4. Free Patreon post. https://www.patreon.com/posts/large-scale-part-18742202?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare‬

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Generally Running

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All done the rough for this big drawing. Next I’ll transfer it to some nice drawing paper. #fantasy #fantasyillustration #fantasyart #illustrationart #illustration #pencildrawing #commission #dragon #witch #faerie

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Next I’m on to the reference and sketching phase. This is a really fun and challenging bit. I now have a basic composition and concept and now I need to gather as much information as I can about it before I begin the rough drawing that precedes the final.

 I generally start this part of my process by making a list of things I need reference and sketches for. As I research and sketch and explore the drawing will gather ideas like cotton candy. It grows and grows until it gets a little too big. But editing comes later. Try not to edit while you create.

The list for this drawing is something like this: figure, dragon, dress, tree, tree faces, spirit creature, mountains, hills, clouds. I’m an expert list maker.

As I sketch and research new ideas come and go and the picture gets more depth and meaning. I continually return to the original thumbnails and revise them based on new ideas. Though it’s good to not have everything settled until you’re finished the final drawing. Stay pretty nimble through the whole process.

I keep the sketches pretty loose but very legible. I need them to be easy to read. I’ll refer back to them pretty much through the rest of the drawing.

For a short example of how this works, I want to have a twisted oak off centre in the drawing. And I want roots. Lots of twisty roots. I sketch the tree before looking for reference pictures. The reference must suit the composition. The composition may change based on the reference but not much. A composition is an abstract alignment of shapes and contrasts that has little to do with realistic representation. Although ultimately compositions often come initially from forms in nature. Art is weird. I drew 5 or 6 different trees. The tree in the final drawing will be an amalgam of my initial sketch plus elements from my research. I’m looking for whatever looks coolest. That’s essentially the bottom line. Everything in the drawing should look cool.

Once I’m done all the research and rough drawings I cut paper the size of the final and I’m ready to go on to the next stage.

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‪Large Scale Drawing Process Part 3 https://www.patreon.com/posts/large-scale-part-18679462?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=postshare please consider contributing to my Patreon. ‬

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Commission Drawing Process Part 1

Over the next week or so I’ll be posting about the process of a larger scale pencil drawing commission. I’ll be walking you through the process that I use from first discussions with the patrons through to the final piece. 

Today I’ll just briefly talk about the beginnings of a commission. The commission I’m working on began with another commission. I did a small scale commission (above) for someone and it lead to a second commission at a much larger scale.

The patron asked for a second commission more like my more complex and refined work. And I’m really happy to do it, I feel like I don’t have enough of that kind of work in my portfolio. I want more finished illustrations and books to represent me.

After he asked for the second commission we soon began to discuss the subject. I know not everyone does this but I enjoy some collaboration with the patron. It makes for a more interesting picture I think.

We decided to use the same characters as the previous picture, like a little narrative. I love that idea and was immediately engaged.

And that’s the very first step in a commission. Tomorrow I’ll talk about initial thumbnail sketches that begin to illuminate the overall idea.

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