Early 2000

For my entry to the Sketchquest contest, I found my inspiration in the everyday life we see around, but with a bit of throwback feel to it. I wanted to depict that piece of urban life and the distinct fashion trends of the early 2000s. The inspiration for this drawing came from a woman I saw walking in my neighborhood, but her outfit immediately brought me back to 2004. She had a yellow top that shows her trim waistline the hem of whch is just touching her belly button, a below the knee denim skirt, a bright orange hoodie, and sandals. It was a simple moment, but it perfectly captured the simple and laid back vibe of that time. I can still remember the early period of the millennia.

I want a loose, flowing style for this sketch. I started with a rough sketch, making sure the basic shapes and the posture of the person are in place. I was not thinking about the perfect lines not even the correct anatomy. I just want it to be spontaneous, almost like a quick sketch done in a notebook but digital.

Next, I added in the colors using a broad nib brush, to achieve the watery strokes I adjusted the opacity to low, giving the drawing a pastel like look and feel. I chose a bright orange for her hoodie and a deep blue for her skirt to achieve that beautiful contrast against the more muted background. I want her hair to feel natural I darkened the roots to make it more realistic and I think that was in during those times.

Finally, I added some finer lines and details, but I intentionally left them a bit unfinished. I wanted the drawing to feel more like a sketch than a finished painting. The imperfect lines and blotchy colors add to that fleeting nature of the sketching process that I was trying to capture, which was made even more special by its subtle nod to the fashion of 2004

Thank you for dropping by hope you like my entry.