Today, I wanted to share with you a recent drawing/painting I did.
If you follow me at all on social media, you know that I LOVE American Tradition Tattoos. There is just something beautiful in their simplistic appearance, but the fact that there is so much more to them than bold colors and strong lines.
This is the American Traditional Tattoo that I used as my inspiration:
I found this doing a google search of “American Tradition Tattoos.” There was just something striking about her.
Here is my take on this image, step-by-step:
I started with sketching out my image. My youngest daughter was like “That looks like Ariel!”I started by using my The Crafter’s Workshop Heavy Body Acrylics to shade in my face and facial features.One of the staples of American Traditional Tattoos is the rose. You can see in them that black is used to accentual the darks, while white is added to the tips to make them pop.Here is a little closer look, with the leaves done and a little more work on the face. You can see I didn’t erase any of my pencil lines. I feel like they add more depth.The hair was hard. I wanted to get the glossy look that the original picture had, but it felt like every time I added a dark or a light I ended up with a harsh line! I just kept playing with it until I got the look I wanted.To finish her up, I used a fine tip black sharpie to add her details like hair, lashes and outlining her facial features. Also, note that I added a little white to her Iris and a dot to her pupil. This “dot” is called a “catch light.” This fleck is the little something that gives your drawings life. It tricks your brain into believing the eye you just drew/painted is glossy like a real eye.
I hope you’ve have enjoyed with little drawing/painting session with me!
