Hello everyone!
This is a portrait i did of Raquel,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xkelx
You can see my reference photo right
http://www.fotolog.com/xyoungtillidiex/9281780
I saw the photo and had the idea of making her interact with something.
I've used illustrator cs3 in almost everything, except the texture on the background, some touches on the hair and the objects on the necklace, which were made in photoshop.
I wanted it to have a "painterly look", so i've used the brush tool using large or thinner strokes, trying to explore the possibilities that illustrator can give being used that way.
Although the swallow bird has a very graphic look but i've based that on a tattoo that she has and wanted to maintain that aesthetic.
Here's a detail shot,
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2385...f1ea4f2f3_o.jpg
In the right side it's a detail of her face .
I've done a custom brush from a heart tattoo that she has made.
And you can also see a little bit closer the bird and the typography i've made, that is the sentence which she tatooed on her wrists, but with other style of caligraphy but still caligraphic.
So my intention was not only to draw her face but also to give a taste of the interests that she likes and her personality.
