From Zero to Hero vol. 2 – Abstract οffice art by @mariandavp

In my last post on abstract office art, I showed you how to create an abstract masterpiece with just a blue pen and a couple of stabilos, starting from chaotic lines and ending with specific shape forms. Today we will go on step further, and though we will use the same blue pen and stabiles, we will do exactly the opposite; we will start from specific forms to end up to more abstract end result.

REMEMBER: You don’t have to be skilled to do this. You only need to become a child and let your creativity rule. In fact the less skilled you are the more artistic the result.

READY? SET? GO!!!!

Let’s start with all time classic and kid’s favorite; a portrait of a girl. I’m always a fan of ¾ head stance, so I’ll make a rough outline of the head. It doesn’t have to be perfect or proportional. I have in my mind a nice pony tail, so I draw an ALIEN head.

I draw the face features outlines and basic details. Then I shape the areas where I’d place the face’s shadows if this was a normal portrait (assuming that light comes from where we stand). Now smudge those areas as well as the head. Remember how I told you to go crazy last time? Well, this time don’t. We don’t want to go too much out of the outlines, but just to hide them a little bit. Of course if you do overdo it at some point, it doesn’t matter. Art becomes better with imperfections!

Start filling the shapes with your darker stabilo and the blue pen. The more dense the more vivid the shadow effect. We usually have dark circles around the eyes, a slight shadow mustache, shadows around the cheekbones and our chin and of course more shadows on the part of the shape that is further away from the light (remember it’s a ¾ portrait). With chaotic lines I create her long low ponytail as well. Here I avoid making an outline with dark pen.

OOPS, I always forget the eyes!

OK. Let’s put do some coloring and beautification were needed. AND a scarf because she’s a fashion icon J

You may think, she still looks like an alien. But I want you to imagine her coming out of her trendy UFO and walking on earth for the first time. Hmmmmm, what A NICE BREEZE on her face. Look at her hair waving. Lets draw some hair like that…

And some fancy abstraction in the sky

Done?

Oh no, I forgot to make it Steemit Exclusive… NOW, IT’S DONE 😆

Try it at the office or at home with your kids. You will realize what a great artist you can become in no time!