"In The Dark," created in the mid-2017, marked a significant milestone in my artistic journey. This piece represented my first venture into the realm of realism, a true eureka moment.
Subsequently, I had the privilege of presenting this drawing to His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS, and it now resides in one of His personal villas in Matheran.
This article delves into the captivating story behind the artwork and explains why it holds such immense importance for me.
Before "In The Dark," my previous artwork was of "Bir e Hakimi”. I drew this during my academic days at Al Jamea Tus Saifiyah. Back then, I had limited resources so borrowed a few essential tools from a senior student.
Those tools were entirely new to me, and I was still in the process of understanding how to achieve realism.
I had watched a few YouTube videos and got some basic ideas, but I lacked the proper tools and experience.
I completed "Bir e Hakimi" in just two days, and I thought I had reached the peak of realism. But when I looked at it a few days later, I had to laugh because it was far from realistic! 😂😂
Still, it felt like an achievement, and I was somewhat satisfied.
During my vacation, I spent most of my time on YouTube, diving into videos about realism and shading techniques.
I stumbled upon Jono Dry, an artist who really pushes the boundaries of art. I highly recommend checking out his videos and artwork.
Another fantastic channel is by Kristy Patridge; her video explanations are excellent.
I've also written a blog about 3 artists I truly admire, which you might find interesting.
Continuing my story, I eventually purchased the tools I believed were essential, like the electric eraser, Tombow mono eraser, and a few others.
I've actually written a separate blog about these tools, and I encourage you to give it a read.
The initial step in this particular drawing journey was finding the right reference picture.
I stumbled upon an image of a lion gazing upward in the dark, which is how I came up with the title.
I became utterly obsessed with it. I gridded the paper and began by sketching the outlines of what I could see. This outline acted as a guide for the rest of the drawing, essentially the foundation for the whole piece.
Starting off, I focused on blocking in the darker areas and then gradually worked my way through the mid-tones and lighter sections.
The first feature I worked on was the lion's eye, and the result gave me goosebumps.
Eyes are the essence of any living being, and I recently completed a drawing centered around the concept of imagination and reality.
After the eye, I moved on to shading the lion's face, always following the roadmap provided by the outlines.
I constantly reminded myself not to rush and to pay attention to every tiny detail. Realism is a skill that takes time to develop, and your power of observation improves over time.
As I completed small sections of the drawing, I could envision the next steps, making sure to avoid the mistakes I'd made before.
Gradually, the drawing started taking shape, and the lion came to life. It was an amazing feeling. The most challenging part was working on the lion's mane – following the hair's direction and length was crucial.
The final, but most vital, step was shading the background entirely in pitch black. This part was incredibly soothing and added depth to the drawing, intensifying the emotions it conveyed.
This artwork isn't just about the lion's emotions; every element reflects my personal journey and the way I achieved this. I dedicated four hours every day during that vacation, completing it in 20 days, totaling 80 hours. This piece paved the way for my future projects, boosting my inner confidence and shaping my personality.
Amazing thanks for sharing