Jackie Chan is one of those personalities who has inspired me a lot. I have grown watching his movies. His perfection, perfection and perseverance have been an inspiration to me and many others.
This is my testimony to his excellency and here is how the journey looked like drawing his portrait.
Drawing a portrait is difficult and I remember my mother speaking of someone she knew who was really good at drawing portraits.
This was the time where I had not even thought of me excelling in this field. My mother used to speak about that lady and tell me that you should go and learn from her.
She draws excellent portraits. Alas, I never did, but the seed was planted.
Jackie Chan was my first realistic portrait. Before that I drew a Superman’s portrait which I thought was "HYPERREALISTIC" but wasn’t close enough at all.
I remember the time when one of my friends asked me for the Superman's drawing's price and I tried to sell my artwork for a whopping $50.
Ah, the innocence of youth. I realize such a kid I was at that time and what funny things I had done.
Coming back to Jackie Chan. I searched for a high-res portrait image and was lucky enough to get one. The reference image was really good.
I really wish I could create one more of his portrait on a larger size.
The first thing I did was grid the image and my drawing accordingly. It took me almost an hour to finish the gridding and I must say, gridding is the most boring part of the drawing but the most crucial part as well.
I have written a blog on finding a reference image for your drawing and have shared tips on gridding using Photoshop.
With the grid in place, I moved on to creating outlines, a task so delicate that one wrong stroke could turn Jackie Chan into Jackie Chan't.
Drawing animals allows for creative freedom, but with humans, it's a different ball game. Each face has its unique identity, and one wrong line could turn Jackie into an entirely different action star.
Animal portraits are forgiving; you can freestyle a bit. Humans? Not so much. Messing up one element meant risking the entire portrait resembling someone else entirely.
Gridding done, outlines perfect, I proceeded to the painstaking task of detailing every wrinkle on Chan's face. Trust me, capturing those wrinkles was oddly satisfying.
It's like creating a roadmap of a life well-lived, expressed through facial folds. It is crucial to understand how light works, where do shadows form and where highlights are formed.
Check out this blog if you are interested in understanding these technicalities.
I used to draw on weekends in my days in Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah. I used to give 2-3 hours on weekends which I think was quite manageable and achievable.
It helped me stay motivated in my academics and the time which I dedicated to art wasn't much that would distract me from studies.
Being productive and doing something like this even helps build up confidence which is just so important as a student.
I began from the left side of the forehead to the right and made sure to strictly follow the flow. This helps in not confusing yourself in deciding which part to focus on.
It even helped me manage the complete project as in two days how many boxes can I fill?
However, when drawing the nose I thought of completing the nose first and then completing the left and then right. I don't know why but that made sense to me!
The real challenge, though? Chan's teeth. They're not just pearly whites; they're shades of gray. No, not the book kind.
Understanding the right amount of gray and then delicately shading—every artist's dental nightmare.
Even if understanding the amount of grayness needed, the second challenging thing is the shade the exact area where needed.
Shading a little bit extra might make the teeth look weird and would spoil the whole portrait. It took me a complete day to work on the teeth.
After days of meticulous work, I presented my masterpiece to my roommates, who, with deep concern, suggested it didn't quite capture the Chan essence.
Panic set in. Was my masterpiece a Jackie Chan or a Jackie Can't? But I soldiered on, reminding myself that art is a journey, not a destination.
This was the time when 70% of the face was done. The chin and areas below the cheek were still left. I took a moment to digest their feedback, but I knew that I was following the gridding system from the reference image correctly.
Sharing my progress with peers became a ritual, and their feedback proved invaluable. Constructive criticism, like a sidekick in a kung fu movie, helped me refine my techniques and get back on track.
Three months later, Jackie Chan's face emerged from the chaos of lines and shadows.
A triumph! My art journey, which started as a weekend hobby in Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah, eventually earned me a spot in the annual magazine.
The look on my professor's face was priceless—almost as priceless as the journey itself.
Likewise, numerous friends visited my room to admire the completed drawing.
The encouragement I've received, particularly from Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah and the broader Dawoodi Bohra community, has been truly heartwarming.
In my recent blog, I detailed how my artistic odyssey found a spotlight in the Dawoodi Bohra Article—definitely worth a read.
The portrait of Jackie Chan stands as a significant milestone in my artistic journey, ranking among my most cherished creations.
It served as a profound lesson in patience, perseverance, and commitment—akin to the qualities Jackie Chan himself embodies and imparts.
PS: as a proud brown belt in karate and a yellow belt in kung fu, I can confidently say: WATCH OUT! Jackie, you're not the only one with killer moves.
Good to hear your thoughts and inspiring story. Yusuf Ghadiyali
Love knowing more about you and your art journey, and most importantly, how you talk about relatable principles that applies to not only an artist's life, but in general whatever you pursue, you require perseverance. Thanks for sharing!