This is a portrait study I made of an older gentleman. I utilized a lot of traditional digital painting techniques, intentionally avoiding the realm of hyper-realism and instead favoring a more painterly aesthetic.

This was a quick study that I did in order to hone my foundational skills as a digital painter. A lot of what I did in the past, before branching out to creative work, was creating artworks similar to this, a story that’s likely relatable for most digital illustrators.

I like making old studies like this, because it reminds me how far I’ve come. I remember the times I could hardly render a cube and a sphere, and now I can create the human visage through technique and experience. Regardless, I know I can improve a lot more, but it’s good to sometimes acknowledge how far one has come.