A Steady Approach to Connect With the Subject!

Form Connect.

Sahil Trivedi trusts in approaching one's subject and its various aspects in a clear, straight and gradual manner, so as to arrive at its intended fruition in a steady and assured way. Here, he explains his process behind creating artwork step-by-step that is not only clear in direction and balanced in colour but also aptly treated on the whole.

Step 1

First and foremost, take a moment to consider what works best in the interest of your subject. This will help you connect and give direction to the piece. Read forms, and start out with basic line-art. With this, you shall be able to see the form and content clearly.

Step 2

Select the area of rendering, and fill-in any mildly dark shade. I prefer this technique so that I only have to work on highlights; it also saves a lot of time. Then create a cut-out of the image, and place it in a layer behind the lines.

Step 3

Determine the effect and direction of lighting you want your artwork to have. Here, I have kept the light source at the top-front. Conceive the whole piece in 3D form, with respect to the shades, highlight and bounce-light that will suit your structure, style and need.

Step 4

Colour is the most important aspect. I focus on balancing the colour palette, keeping it vivid and fresh. For example, if I had green on top, it would balance out with blue; they should complement each other and not be in conflict. Be very specific about which colours you use, since they hold the beauty that will catch the viewers' attention.

Step 5

Render out different materials, and add source values/textures. Also, be very precise about bounce-light or reflective light or tones. It must seem very organic and pleasant to the eyes. Here, I have detailed a bit more adding 'burn' effects to the eye. It can be very specific or even loose.

Step 6

Finally, the treatment is very important. Here, I have added some foliage layers to give the sculpture an organic feel. Plants always make a composition alive and fresh. I've also added colour dodge (formula red) in some areas to make them attractive. The overall ambient light helps to balance my colour palette and not saturate it.