How to Draw Olaf

As I think I’ve stated before, I’m a huge Disney fan. So much so, that I occasionally enjoy watching parades, performances, and character interaction videos on Youtube.

I discovered this one video that features a quick lesson on how to sketch Olaf from Frozen. At Disney Californian Adventure, a Disney artist takes guests through the steps of drawing the little snowman using basic shapes and techniques. I found myself doodling this just for fun and it ended up looking pretty nice. Clearly, the instructions are very well given! Have a look at the video and try it yourself!

Frozen Fever: Learn How To Draw Olaf

And yes, I put Mickey Ears in my name there.

Kobe Bryant

Another sketch featuring Kobe Bryant in a fun-to-draw dunk pose.

If anyone has ever played NBA 2K14, you should probably be aware that using Kobe totally breaks the game. Honestly. Every 3-pointer a swish. Where’s the fun in that?

The Stanley Cup

I am RIDICULOUSLY proud of this drawing. It was one of the most time consuming sketches I’ve ever done, but I’m incredibly happy with how it turned out.

The high contrast reflections of chrome are a pain to draw, but when done correctly, can look amazing. Sometimes when I look at this, I’m still not convinced that I drew it. Here are a couple of close-ups so you can see that it’s not really a great drawing of the Stanley Cup, but instead a bunch of well-placed scribbles.

Vader’s Tea

For the life of me, I can’t remember WHY I drew this, but I’m glad I did.

This is Darth Vader from Star Wars, somehow sipping on tea. Yes, it makes zero sense. I currently can’t find the original, but I know this is a very, very old drawing. I was rummaging through old scans and decided to share it. More like Dainty Vader, am I right? Okay, I’ll stop.

So… Is anyone else EXTREMELY HYPED FOR STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS?!?!

Snow White

This is a fairly stylized drawing of Snow White that was requested of me earlier this year. Along with Cinderella, I think Snow White has the smallest drawn eyes of all the Disney Princesses in her traditional form, so I think that’s why I went big here. Yeah, I know it looks a bit strange, but I’m happy with it.

The pose was taken from a paused video of the Snow White character at Disney World. I am absolutely fascinated at how legit these live-action park characters are. There’s a specific Snow White who has her voice, her charm, and every little mannerism down perfect. When I went to Disney World in 2013, the characters I met were completely spot on too. I’ll talk about those encounters some other time. I’ll probably draw them at some point anyway.

I was slightly disappointed in myself for forgetting her little cape, but then I remembered that she didn’t always wear it. Until Mulan came along, Snow White held the title for “Disney Girl with Short Dark Hair”. She pulls it off rather well, eh?

Messi

This guy is apparently a big deal. I wouldn’t know, really. Yet another sketch request of something I’m not very familiar with.

Very much a fan of the pose here though. There’s a pretty decent example of foreshortening going on with his leg. When drawing without a reference, I sometimes tend to bugger up limbs when foreshortening is involved. It was good practise here.

And because I’m pretty sure this is mandatory with anything football…

“…Passes to Messi! Messi lines up!

GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!”

The Almighty 2B

For today’s Tools And Tips Tuesday, I want to show you my main drawing tool:

The 2B pencil!

If anyone is unfamiliar with the grading scales of graphite (drawing) pencils, I’ll give you the short/basic version:

H = Hardness, B = Blackness

The higher the number for H graphite pencils, the harder it is, and so the mark it will make will progressively be lighter, no matter much pressure you apply. Opposite that, the higher the number for B graphite pencils, the darker the marks will be. This means the graphite is a little more brittle and a bit more difficult to sharpen to a fine tip, but it will create great black shades with little effort. A slightly easier-to-understand explanation can be found here: Graphite Grading Scales

The 2B is my favourite one to use because it is incredibly versatile and balanced. Here’s are some brief details why:

• When sharpened, the 2B is well-capable of creating fine strokes without dulling too quickly.
• Depending on the pressure used, 2B pencils are quite useful for creating a broad spectrum of shades, from extremely light pencil strokes to impressively dark shades.
• Even after shading dark, 2B pencils are fairly easy to erase without leaving remnants of previous markings.
• When asking myself which pencil to use, I get to quote Shakespeare!

I do use a whole arsenal of pencil grades for various applications, but the 2B is one I can never go without. In fact, if I’m only ever allowed to use one pencil for the rest of my life, it would be a 2B. I go through them often and quickly…

Yup. Definitely my favourite.

Hulk Smash

Continuing with San Diego Comic Con goodness, I wanted to share this fun sketch I did of The Hulk being rather inconsiderate to a colony of ants.

This drawing sort of reminds me of the videogame series, Marvel Vs. Capcom, where The Hulk is a playable character. He has this move called “Gamma Wave” where he lifts the ground in front of him with such force, it creates a surging wave of earth that damages the opponent. Even though the Hulk I drew is smashing instead of lifting ground, it still has a similar chain reaction sort of thing going on. I’ve always liked the name “Gamma Wave” too… I like to imagine that’s how The Hulk greets people without dialogue.

I sometimes have a habit of making faces while sketching, to get a feel for the character as I draw them on the page. With that said, I’m glad no one was around when I sketched The Hulk here. I made quite a number of faces…

Batman & Superman

To commemorate the release of the “Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice” trailer this weekend at San Diego Comic Con, I thought I’d share a quick sketch I did of the pair, but featuring them as a team, not as rivals.

My favourite superhero of all time will always be Batman, so I’m definitely biased when it comes to a “who would win” type question. Even if there are endless arguments to support the both of them, I will always side with Batman. “The World’s Greatest Detective” isn’t just a fancy title, y’know… What I prefer more than having Batman triumph is seeing them fight side-by-side. The dynamic between Batman and Superman when they’re in the Justice League is one of my favourite things ever.

With that said, I am still extremely excited for this movie. I think the first thing people should know is that Ben Affleck is portraying a slightly older Bruce Wayne, as denoted by his greying sideburns, so you can’t compare him to other Bruces like Christian Bale, who portrayed him at the beginning of his career as the Caped Crusader. While I could EASILY go on and on about what I’m excited about for this film, I’ll save my fanboy-ing for a face-to-face conversation instead of an art blog post. *laughs*

I wish I used a darker pencil for this. Batman isn’t as shadowy as I want him to be. Perhaps it is the shade he deserves, but not the one he needs right now…

(I couldn’t help it!^)

Schnauser

Who’s a good boy?

One of the few things cuter than a puppy is a lazy puppy.

The End.