This is the first in a series of "future" portraits of friends in about 20 years. I took photos of the gang, quizzed them as to their favorite cocktail and just had a field day. So as not to lose those friendships, I started with myself. Yes, I do own the fir wrap, the hat and the gloves. I also have a vintage armadillo purse, but just didn't have room for it in the pic. I've never actually had a "Dirty Martini". I prefer coffee flavored brandy, but it seemed the perfect accessory for my ensemble. Guess I'll have to try one for the sake of art.
My technique, though time consuming, is simple. I start with a preliminary sketch in graphite. When my design is satisfactory, I ink the sketch, using a black, 05, pigma micron pen. I use Prismacolor pencils. Each area is a layering of about 5 different colors, going from dark to light, until the paper is totally burnished. Once the coloring is complete, I re-ink to make the line work a true black. It is then sprayed with workable fixatif to seal, protect and prevent wax bloom.