Behind the Art: See How Your Portraits Come to Life
I don't just finish a commission and send it off. I believe in showing you the work that goes into it. Here is a look at my sketching process, some artist hacks, and how I use technology to save your old, damaged photos.
Sometimes a client gives me a cropped photo, which makes it hard to draw a full portrait. In this video, I share a quick trick using an AI photo expander to generate the missing parts of an image, giving me a complete reference to draw from.
Here is an artist hack that nobody seems to talk about. To stop paper tape from tearing your drawing sheet when you remove it, first stick it to a piece of fabric once or twice. This reduces the glue's strength and protects your paper.
This custom order for a Mumbai client was more than just a portrait. We created a charcoal sketch of her and then surrounded it with doodles that capture her essence: a book lover, hardworking, and a dreamer. It's a visual story of her personality.
Can I create a detailed portrait in under 15 minutes? Here is a quick pen sketch challenge I did. This kind of rapid drawing is a great exercise and shows how a likeness can be captured with just a few expressive lines.
This was a fun creative challenge. I took the word 'Ravi' and used it as the foundation for a unique portrait sketch. It's a different way to think about drawing and personalizing an artwork.
This time-lapse shows the process of creating a detailed oil painting. You can see the careful mixing of skin tones on the palette and the layering of colors to bring the portrait to life. I also added a secret glow-in-the-dark message for the client.
A client asked me to paint her US friend in traditional Indian attire with famous landmarks in the background. This video shows the final result. How long do you think a complex piece like this takes to complete?
A quick look at some of the different traditional mediums I work with. This montage features clips of me working on an oil painting, a watercolor piece, and a detailed charcoal drawing, showing the variety of textures and styles I offer.
Art is what makes life beautiful. This video is a montage of my work across different mediums, from a charcoal portrait and a colorful couple's painting to a unique piece of leaf art and a spiral line drawing.
About Behind the Art: Process & Tips
Ever wonder why your drawing paper tears when you pull off the masking tape? It is a common mistake. Before applying tape to your work, stick it onto a piece of fabric two or three times. This simple jugaad reduces the adhesive strength just enough so you can remove it later without ripping the edges of your finished sketch.
My Creative Process
For me, art is about the sach (truth) inside the image, not just making things look pretty. Whether I am working on a digital illustration on my iPad or a physical charcoal sketch, I follow a specific routine to ensure the output matches your memory.
The Digital Workflow
When working on Procreate, I prioritize layer management and brush selection early on. For Ghibli or anime-style commissions, I focus on bold, clean lines and cell shading to get that dreamy aesthetic. The best part? I often record time-lapse videos of the creation, so you get to see how I build your portrait from a blank canvas to the final result.
Digital Restoration & Jugaad
Many of you come to me with old, cropped, or blurry photos. This is where my process gets creative. I use a combination of AI photo expansion and manual drawing to reconstruct missing elements. If you have a photo where the face is perfect but the hair or clothes are cut off, I manually redraw those sections to blend seamlessly with the original. It takes a few extra hours, but it ensures your final wall art doesn't look 'chopped.'
Artist Hacks for Beginners
- Tape Trick: As mentioned, always reduce glue strength on fabric first.
- Fast Drying: For physical oil paintings, I pre-mix my colors with specific mediums so they dry overnight, allowing for faster delivery.
- Sketch Challenges: I often do 15-minute speed sketches to keep my lines expressive and loose. This practice helps me capture a person's likeness without overworking the details.
Whether you are looking for a digital oil portrait or a custom memorial illustration, know that every stroke is deliberate. Let's create something real together.
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Whether it's a charcoal sketch or a digital anime portrait, search by style or occasion.
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