I’m very excited to be working on a project for Sasquatch Books, drawing 36 author portraits for an upcoming book tentatively titled Pie & Whiskey. Big thanks to designer Tony Ong and AD Anna Goldstein.
Here’s what I initially submitted for author Anthony Doerr — the short hatching lines were inspired by the sharp grain of the source photo, which gave everything a textural quality:
The art director and designer asked for a revision. The preferred style for this book is longer hatching lines, for more of an engraved look. I took a bit of a calculated risk with my first stylistic choice. I busted out the correction fluid and re-shaded most of the drawing. I also took the opportunity to revise the eyes, which were looking a little creepy. I kept the short-line hatching in the clothing to reflect the texture:
It came out pretty messy, so I did a lot of cleanup and a bit more drawing on the computer. Here’s the approved final — a definite improvement:
Mike Baehr 