Jean,

No bricks. I did a lot of men's fashion illustration and I found the best stuff I did was with plain and simple backgrounds with dramatic lighting.

Make that tattoo part of the design now that you have an idea of what they look like. Do some thumbnails of what you visualize the ideal result would be.

All it needs is dramatic lighting, the tattoo, those jeans and his attitude. Look at some men's fashion magazines like GQ for ideas.

I agree with Sharon about using a plain background. On this portrait, less is more.

Okay, I hear you. "Jux" will be the star of this portrait. Thumbnails will be comming soon!

Thank you for the advice. I will take it. :sunnysmil I'm apprehensive about my abilities to paint a convincing tattoo. This should be an interesting experience.

Jean

I decided to do a quick value study tonight and got a little carried away. Unfortunately it was too small for me to get much detail in his face and I screwed up his nose. But, at least I know that a dark background is the way to go.

Jean

Oh Jean, this'll be interesting to watch --- are you going to post your work in process? Those tatoos look like fun!

Sure, I'll post it. Then you can all watch me tear my hair out!

Jean

Very cool, am waiting impatiently for the finish.

Don't hold your breath, Jimmie, I've got another project to work on while I'm doing this. I'm painting a 10 year old girl who has panic attacks. The photoshoot was cancelled twice already, we're trying for sometime this week. She's not afraid of being photographed or me, just germs and being sick. How sad to be so young and already afraid of the world.

Jean

Nice value study, Jean. I find the light corners distracting though, so I'd continue the dark background all the way out to the edges if it were me.

Oh Michele, I'm sorry. :oops:

I keep forgetting that no one can read my mind. I was having fun with his body and tattoo. It was obvious to me that the dark background was the way to go once I started adding it. I got bored and quit before I took it all the way to the edges. My bad!

Jean