Through the Iris IV WIP IV

Through the Iris IV WIP IV

16” x 16” Pencil on Arches Hot Press mounted on maple

I don’t think I have ever posted a wip like this sideways, in the act of drawing but you can really get a feel of the scale here. The next one will be more “normal” looks like I’m a bit more then half done, the eyebrows are complex on this model so it will take time



It’s been a long time since I have posted a work in progress (WIP) and I have never used and eye drawing for this. This is most likely the last pure eye drawing I’m ever going to do (never say never…) it has run its course and I have gotten what I needed from it, which is my interests in observing and understanding aging skin and the structure of the Iris I still am interested in this but it’s time to do a full face and torso in this technique and size. I do have to get this one completed for an exhibit of my latest three eyes drawings that are featured this year in ArtPrize in September.

Usually a start at the Iris and work in a slow spiral from that area but here I started at the bottom for no reason really. I work anti-academically where I complete areas as I go, this is large and its taken around 100 hours so far. I am using around twenty different photo references of my model that I shot, I also use a mirror 50% of the time to look at “real” aging skin in the flesh, I don’t want to copy a photo but use it as a map. I change things frequently and make them more or less pronounced as I go along and I am aware of the limits of a photo. When possible I use the model as well but this a problematic when working around 200 hours on one drawing. I'm not interested in Photorealism as much but i am in realism or how we perceive.

As always please ask any questions you like and thanks for looking