Colour Me July #8

Character Development - Father & Son T-Rex

Today's "Colour Me July!" is a brief example of how I developed a father and son T-rex team.

As well as sketchbooks all over the place in my house, I always keep a ream of paper in the top drawer of my desk. It means that I have easy access to it whenever inspiration hits.

I don't know about yourselves, but for sketching ideas I often find that the more expensive the sketchbook, the more 'inhibited' I am, and less likely to experiment with my drawings - it's as if i've paid all this money for a fancy book with really nice paper and I only want to put my best, 'finished' work in it. 

Hence the ream of paper. Just your normal photocopy/printer type paper that you can buy for a couple of pounds. That way I don't fear making a mess - I can draw as scrappy as I like, knowing that if I don't like it, I can always pop it into the recycling bin!

The picture at the top of the father and son T-Rex team, came about through scribbling around on the printer paper. I was just doodling..drawing anything, lots of little faces, until something started to appear.

T-Rex & Son character development

It was the father T-rex that came first, then I thought "hey, i'll introduce a wee son character!", after that it was a case of where to put him - on top of the shoulders, and being carried through the snow.

As always happens, I have to draw the same scene more than once, refining as I go, working out how a T-Rex would hold his son as his arms are teeny compared to the rest of him, and, what kind of clothes would they wear, what would the boots look like, to fit a T-Rex foot.

Once I've got them positioned roughly where I want them, then i'll start adding colour into the mix. As you can see in the top image, i've got them wearing plain blocks of colour. I'll add patterns to the clothing, and accessories on each subsequent refinement.

I hope you find this post useful - if there's anything you'd like to see on the blog, then please feel free to leave a comment below.

See ye tomorra!

​Davy

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