Turiel - Work in Progress 2 (Patreon)

Anyone who has been supporting me for a while has seen that updates come in bursts. That's not because I am waiting for inspiration to hit. As a professional, I need to be able to perform on queue.

The reason these updates come in bursts has to do with the other things I do as a business owner. I typically work 7 days a week, often on non-art related tasks. Whether it is handling business operations or doing layouts and graphics for new products, there is always a to-do list that has art and business tasks mixed together.

The other thing that you typically don't see is the research and experimentation phases. While some of my failed drawings end up on Instagram, many of them don't see the light of day. Even though I start rather rough, I'm doing so on a foundation that allows me to build confidently one step on top of the next. Having a strong base of research helps me set a goal for the final, long before anyone else can see what I'm shooting for. Most of my process is without direct reference, so I'm the only one who knows what the mush of shapes that sits on the canvas is likely to turn into. 

Some artists start with a tight drawing to create a sturdy foundation for their work, I prefer to fine tune anatomy and shape design as I paint and that leads me to start really rough and progressively gain focus. Which you might choose to do as an artist is not so much about preference as it is about learning what works best for you individually. That often leads me to instruct other artists to not replicate my specific working method. Everyone needs to experiment for themselves to find what naturally matches their process of thought.