Patrick's Awesome Reviews

Thursday, January 6, 2011

How to draw Jango Fett.

Ever wanted to draw Star Wars characters and vehicles just like the professional comic book artists? In this step-by-step series, Star Wars artists and illustrators show you how to draw some of the most beloved characters in the saga.

Steps 1-3 are drawn lightly with pencil. No pen, no dark lines. Finished lines and details will come at the end.

Step One:
You want to create a simple framework before anything else, so for Step 1, draw basic shapes. Use lines and circles to represent the head, knees, elbows, hands, etc. Keep your pencil lines nice and loose as you decide what poses you'd like. If you are just starting out try a basic standing pose; something easy at first till you get the hang of it.

Step Two:
Once your stick figure framework is done, then you can go in and start fleshing out the body shapes a bit more. I go with the tube format.

Step Three:
Now that your basic shapes and pose are in place, it's time to lightly pencil in some of the more detailed areas, such as his armor, gauntlets, leg holsters, helmet, and so on. Keep your lines loose and light, and don't be afraid to erase and redraw.

Once you are satisfied with your initial pencils, tighten it up. Go over the lines and shapes you've already drawn, but this time make it a bit darker. Feel free to use shading, if you like. (I tend to leave my lines and image clean and do my details and shading in the ink and color stage.) The amount of detail that goes into your final pencil drawing is completely up to you. Work it out until you're happy with how it looks.

Step Four:
In the inking stage, just add pen or marker lines to your drawing, simply go over your pencil lines. When you're happy with how it looks, go over the piece with an eraser and that will get rid of your pencil lines so that only your inked lines remain. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect the first time. Practicing is the key to getting better! Don't be discouraged.

Step Five:
Some people like to use color paints, pencils, crayons, digitally or with markers. For this image I used Prisma Color Markers, with color pencil highlights. With the markers you want to layer. Start off light and build up to the darks. I also like to keep some dried out markers lying around, especially the greys and browns, they are excellent for battle marks and wear and tear on armor. Experiment even, make copies of your inked version and try different ways to color. Just have fun.

How to draw Cad Bane.

Step One:
You want to create a simple framework before anything else, so for Step 1 we'll be drawing only basic shapes. Use lines and circles to represent Cad Bane's head, knees, elbows, hands, etc.

Step Two:
Once your stick figure framework is done, then you can go in and start fleshing out Cad's body shapes a bit more, such as his legs and arms. Do this lightly with your pencil so that if it looks wrong, you can erase and try again. Use your lines from Step 1 to guide you. Cad Bane has a wide brim hat, so be sure to draw an oval from his chin to his forehead that extends far beyond his shoulders to either side.

Step Three:
Now that your basic shapes and pose are in place, it's time to lightly pencil in some of the more detailed areas, such as his forearms (he has forearm gauntlets that look somewhat similar to Boba Fett's), his side holsters, his face, and so on. Keep your lines loose and light, and don't be afraid to erase and redraw.

Step Four:
It's time to create your final pencil drawing. Just go over the lines and shapes you've already drawn, but this time make it a bit darker. Feel free to use shading, if you like. The amount of detail that goes into your final pencil drawing is completely up to you. Flesh it out until you're happy with how it looks.

Step Five:
If you want to add pen or marker lines to your drawing -- a process called "inking" -- simply go over your pencil lines. When you're happy with how it looks, go over the piece with an eraser and that will get rid of your pencil lines so that only your inked lines remain. Another option is to use a light table (sold at art supply stores) and place a blank sheet over your pencil drawing and then draw on top of that. That way your pencil version stays intact and you can try it again as much as you like. You can also make photocopies of your pencil drawing and use those to practice on. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect the first time. Practicing is the key to getting better!

Step Six:
If you want, color your drawing as well. Some people like to use crayons or markers, and some like to color their images digitally. I scanned my drawing into the computer program Photoshop and colored it digitally.