Headlights In The Rear View Mirror ~ A Man’s Journey To Sin City
![D875568C-D8FE-418E-B38A-95903B298D62.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNT6mVCotFQ4BRDLyeiUzXtvZ4YVP91BWqhEkephHX8rD/D875568C-D8FE-418E-B38A-95903B298D62.png)
So Here We Go Again ..
Another digital creation that started as one idea and transformed into another as I continued doodling and adding to it. The idea was to draw a man, using the pencil tools, in a pose as if he was throwing a ball. As time went on and the drawing progressed, I no longer felt like that was realistic because I didn’t leave enough room to draw hands and a ball. So what was I going to do with it. I had no clue until I was watching ’The Hangover’ and was thinking about Las Vegas.
A New Vision Came To Me ..
It was less of a revelation and more of a “that’s a good idea” kind of thing. A vision of a guy driving a car, late at night, to Sin City.. Las Vegas. He’s driving through the desert pretty much alone, on a warm humid night. Top down and wind blowing through his hair. No other cars in sight for miles and miles. He was zoned out listening to Dylan and Hendricks on the radio. He didn’t notice that another car had caught up to him and was now there in his rear view mirror. The headlights were shining into his eye, disturbing his peace and solidarity. He slowly pulls over, just off to the side of the hot pavement, and let’s the car pass. He slowly pulls out, back onto the highway, as the other car rolls out of sight. Once more he’s just a man alone with his car, some Dylan, the warm breeze through his hair and his thoughts. He rolls on in no hurry at all.
On To The Art and The Progress Photos ..
Now that I filled you in a little on my thoughts behind the inspiration and how this piece evolved overall, lets get to a few of the details. I’ll try to briefly explain a few of them as I list the photos below.
Let’s start off with the first and most basic rough drawing. It was at this point that I decided to try and draw this whole creation with lines, both short and long, going in the same direction. Not all of them did, but the majority go from upper left to lower right. Don’t ask me why. I like to take something new and challenging to me, like digital drawing, and add an additional layer of difficulty. I didn’t think that through very well. Haha.
In the next few, I work on trying to layer in some texture and features of the face. I want him wearing sunglasses, because he’s outside and it’s sunny. You have to protect your eyes. 😎 But after I changes my mind on the theme or flow of the piece, he still going to be wearing sunglasses. “I wear my sunglasses at night”.. haha. It’s cool!
The facial features are starting to take shape and a shirt is starting to also take form. Sorry ladies, this man is wearing a shirt. Haha. I remember that I suck at drawing faces, so don’t be surprised on how I will cover up and over shade the face in order to blind you from my sucky people drawing abilities.
Let’s start getting nervous and shade that face a bit more. A beard would look nice, wouldn’t it??
I’m going to interject here for a minute. This is where I realized that I didn’t like the idea of a guy throwing a ball. How weird is that?! So I liked the idea of driving out through the desert on the way to exciting Las Vegas. So now on out I’ll be shading in a lot of the surrounding areas. Eventually only the area around his eyes and over his shoulders, will be left exposed. Sort of looks like he has a bandana on at this stage.. hehe.. don’t get used to it though.
This look, like he is wearing a coat, will be shaded out in the next few frames. It’s a lot of back and forth lines, still running in the same diagonal direction, that are starting to kill my fingers. I think It will be with it though when it’s all filled it.
In the last few steps, I will work on the other side of his shoulder in order to shade in the rest of that white area. It’s dark outside while he’s driving the car, so I need that as dark as possible, but not too dark. I’m also trying to create an effect of headlights on his face. The reflection of the light should be a relatively small area just at the eyes, and maybe a bit of the nose.
My signature shows up but I’m not quite done. I realize I want to darken that area to the upper right little bit more. I know the overall drawling is getting quite dark, but I really like that about this piece. It’s really looking like someone driving a car with a headlight shining back at him through the rearview mirror; In my opinion at least.
It’s Finished!!!!!!!
After all that back-and-forth in One Direction, it’s all finished and my hand is about to fall off. I have it dark enough for my liking and I think the piece turned out awesome for a digital work.
I’m Still Learning and Realizing..
That Digital drawings are not my strong suit but I’m getting a little bit better at it the more I work at it. I don’t think I’m going to fully embrace this method of creation, but it’s fun to do when I don’t want to get all my things out and make a mess. I basically did this whole drawing in front of the TV while listening to a few shows. I had fun making this piece and I guess in the end, that is all that matters. I hope you would agree.
I’m sure soon I’ll be ready for another digital drawing, just not sure what that will be or when I will decide to do that. I think I’ll go back to the real pencils next.
Just For Fun ..
Here is what it would look like on a wall behind the piano. Why? Because I felt like it. Haha. Not like I’m going to print it out and frame it, just wanted to see what it looked like. Not bad. Not too bad at all. 🙂
Finally I Will Leave You With ..
Those really super duper COOL combined progress pictures. I had to split it up into two, because I took too many profess shots. Sorry!
I want to thank each and everyone of you for your support, your comments, and your continued interest and steemit! I wouldn’t be here without all of you. Thank You Everyone!!!
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Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
About Me ~ The Artist
My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.
Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.
For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.
~ B D Miller
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If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:
They can be found for sale in
OR
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If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in SBD or STEEM) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).
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Forms in Lines
That's quite the talent there. Love it. Nicely done, and the process was of quality.
Thank you so much for taking the time to check it all out! I know.. There was a lot of process pics. Maybe too many :-/
Thank you @trinumedia!! :-)
Impressive! From one idea to another. It's nice being creative and it is also nice creating room for flexibility.
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Absolutely. I definitely have to learn to leave myself some room. That usually only a problem on this digital format. When working with actual paper it’s not an issue. Thanks!!! ☺️
Yeah, you are right. A lot of flexibility working with paper. I am currently learning digital art and I can feel the huge limitations in it. I think it's because I'm still an amateur though.🤔
I don't think so.. I think its hard for those of us used to holding an actual pen or pencil or brush. HUGE learning curve. Good Luck with it ;-)
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