Click on image for a closer look!
Black & white is the theme for this week's Illustration Friday, and so I just had to do it. I eeked out minutes here and there, spanning a couple of days, to work on it. Just a simple scene of some dude at a bar. That's all. Kinda dark bar, but that's the way those places usually seem to me, anyway. That is, if I ever find myself in one. Not much of a drinker, so this kind of environment is so foreign to me. Plus, I wanted to evoke the look of film noir a bit, with the harsh darks and spot lighting. I had fun with this IF entry.
UPDATE: See how I did this piece with a How-to!
Wonderful mood, great mark-making. Has an edgy, retro feel to it, alot like the film noir classics. Nice.
ReplyDeleteNice style, I like the blocks and am enjoying your play with light. Mmm, high contrast.
ReplyDeleteKickass.
ReplyDeletefantastic, great mood, great resemblance to bogart.
ReplyDeleteSuper atmosphere, I can almost smell the smoke and split beer. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteDetlef
http://www.detlefjumpertz.com
solving a mystery? nice!
ReplyDeleteWow, I really like your style.
ReplyDeleteExcellent stuff!
This is fabulous! Great light and shadow, and the mood is very dark and edgy. Oh, and I love the eyes.
ReplyDeleteThis is WAY cool. Love the film noir feel...but the drawing itself-- it is just so good. So very good.
ReplyDeleteI love your use of light/dark! Very mysterious/seedy.
ReplyDeletedamnit Ward. Just damnit. This is too good. That's all I can say... it's just perfect.
ReplyDeleteHoly crapola... beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreat style! You can just see him plotting revenge.
ReplyDeleteVery cool. I especially like how the smoke looks so thick and heavy, but rises wonderfully at the same time.
ReplyDeleteHe's great - penny for his thoughts. This is so nicely rendered -excellent submission. It's the kind you remember.
ReplyDeleteman i love this piece. if i saw this in a store, i would definately buy it and hang it in my living room. perfect use of the black and white. nice style! kudos. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a response! Wow, thanks a million for all the great comments, guys! I'm touched.
ReplyDeleteThis is very very cool
ReplyDeleteI like it very much!! Great work!!
ReplyDeleteI think you definitely got the film noir thing down in this. Very cool, moody. I like it!
ReplyDeleteMr. O-Matic, you take the cake, seemingly every time. This is stellar, the best thing I've come across on IllustrationFriday since I stumbled in here. It channels Frank Miller, Bill Watterson (makes me recall Calvin's "Tracer Bullet" persona) – just excellent. Congrats.
ReplyDeleteVery impressive! The eyes say it all, when I first looked he looked like he was about to say "what you looking at?" but now looking at it again they seem to have more of a "Don't talk to me, I've had it in the neck all day and I'm about to snap..." feel to them. Great work Ward, as always!
ReplyDeleteI also had to double-take it at first glance, I could of sworn it was Professor Eutonium from the powerpuff girls, I think I need some sleep :)
As mentioned many a time, great feel! Reminds me of Casablanca or any Humprey Bogart film.
ReplyDeleteGreat use of lighting/shading. I totally get the feel of a seedy dive bar! Nice detail, even down to the arm hairs. Rock on!
ReplyDeleteloving this.
ReplyDeleteyou did an excellent job in making me feel a little afraid of this guy. one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteHey guys, thanks again for all the compliments. I needed my ego stroked, as it's been a tiresome week. To borrow an idea from Rick Lovell (see very first comment here), I was thinking about posting up a "how-to" on how I did this piece. Anybody curious? And for the record, no charcoal or pastels were used here. Just a trusty pencil and some Photoshop magic.
ReplyDeleteLove the illustration, as always. But I'm confused: Illustration Friday on Thursday? What happened to Ava?
ReplyDeleteOMG how you draw ! you capture the mood, atmosphere, character etc. so beautifully, just enough in your wonderful textured shadings and line to say what you want to say, nothing extraneous, and make it look like it's done with such ease. I am always amazed. (and would most definitely love to see a how to !)
ReplyDeleteThis rocks Ward! Such great mood.
ReplyDeletedude that would be an awesome idea. a how to on that piece and you didnt even use charcoal or pastel. i love getting new ides for some of my existing pieces that never get past the sketch book page. im totally interested. :)
ReplyDelete