Create art with emotional impact

8 More tone and value I go into the figure with more tone and value over my initial underpainting wash. Working in watercolour means that, because of the natural transparency of the medium, your underpainting can help set new layers of paint to be either in the warm or cool tonal range. This makes the decision-making process much easier. 9 Tone and value continued As I progress I keep in mind where my highlights are on the costume of the character, while adding more value and tone without overcomplicating things. This stage is where I lack the most confidence – I constantly worry about the current look of the piece as well as the various forthcoming steps.

10 Creating highlights on the helmet The helmet part of his costume is a challenge. It’s easy to become lost while trying to assess the patterns of highlights and reflections when painting metallic objects. It also doesn’t help that there isn’t a live model to work from. My main goal is not to overcomplicate or muddy what I’ve already put down. Less is more when it comes to brushstrokes.

11 Correction methods When it comes to corrections, I find that it’s best to catch these areas early on. A problem area that’s had more than an hour to dry on cotton paper will be a burden to lift off. However, an area that’s relatively fresh can be re-moistened and dabbed with a towel.

GET YOUR RESOURCES

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Ink CREATE ART WITH EMOTIONAL IMPACT

FRANÇOIS GAUTIER explains the creative process he goes through when he brings his emotions to life using black and gold ink

rt, in all its forms, is

Afor me the best way to convey a message or an emotion. And in traditional black ink drawing, I’ve found the perfect way to convey my emotions is by playing with shapes and symbols, and by drawing on the imagery that surrounds me, such as cinema, comics, horror, tattooing, video games and much more.

I want to create a composition that evokes the sense of rebuilding oneself, despite wounds and sadness, and thus being able to move forward.

In this workshop, I’ll teach you how I draw on one of my emotions, thoughts or even fears, and transform it into an illustration, enabling me to confront it.

I’m going to take you through the different stages that I go through, starting with the very first idea, the sketches, research, composition, shading, the final realisation and even the way I stage my drawings to take pictures of them. I’ll also go into detail about some of my techniques, as well as the material I use to compose my works.

MATERIALS

PAPER n Cason A4, 224g, natural white, fine grain BLACK PEN n Mitsubishi Uni Pin Fine Line, 0.03/0.05/0.1 GOLD PEN n Mitsubishi Uni-ball Signo

GOLDEN TOUCH

When making a drawing by hand, I work exclusively in ink, sometimes with a few touches of gold. I really like conveying emotions and messages through the symbolism of what I represent, as well as the composition and combinations that I give them, rather than through colour. I use gold ink to highlight certain details of my drawings and this bring a precious dimension to the whole.

Regarding the materials I use, for this composition I’ll use black fineliners, mostly the finest possible (0.03) to enable me to go into as much detail as I can.

Sometimes I even try my hand with a magnifying glass. The technique used here is hatching. It works really well with this kind of pen, and I feel it brings character to my artwork.

It also enables me to work delicately, to bring the volumes and textures that I want. My compositions are mainly based on symmetry and proportions. This means that I also regularly use rulers or even compasses, in order to place each element as accurately as possible on the sheet, and to offer something satisfying to the eye.

François works almost exclusively in black ink. He draws inspiration from metal music, horror, fantasy, manga and games. See more of his art at instagram.com/francois.gautier.art.

1 Birth of an idea The very first step in my compositions comes from the desire to represent an emotion that I’ve felt. Very often, I write them down in notebooks, then bring them out later and try to bring them to life on paper. And for that, I use a lot of symbolism and vivid representations.

2 Development and research After choosing the basic subject of the project and making some quick sketches, I look for symbols that can correspond to the theme in question. That could be insects, animals, shapes or materials. I also regularly revisit my notebooks to gain inspiration from past ideas that might work here.

3 Exploring compositions Once the different elements are chosen and the overall idea fixed, the moment comes to compose the realisation. The goal here for me is to work in symmetry, with volumes that are well distributed, and for the overall composition to be harmonious. I never embark on a final piece of artwork without having fixed the composition beforehand. 4 Refining the elements When the bulk of the composition is fixed, I go over it more precisely and finely, in order to get into the details. The advantage of a pencil is that it enables me to draw lightly several times in the same place to create the exact shape I want to give to a line or a curve. Once this is perfect, I mark it more strongly.