Goth
Using only simple shapes, with the only brush or pen work being to add just one or two easy details, I created this image in SketchClub. Following this method, almost anyone should be able to create an interesting image even if you can't hold a brush! If you are not confident in making your shapes, use a photo for reference, or even import it into SketchClub so you can trace some shapes.
I created this abstract in iColorama from a SketchClub tracing of a section of California coastline near Monterey, from a screenshot I took from google earth. It didn’t really work as an abstract, so I decided to repurpose it as a texture to use in a portrait. You can try this with any texture image you like, provided it is not too busy and has the colors you want to use. You can find a wide variety of such texture images in Donald Bishop’s iColorama Background Exchange Flickr group.
I imported the texture into SketchClub. On a new layer above the texture layer, I used the Vector tool to create a black shape that describes the outlines of a head and shoulders. I like how the darker blue and brown areas form a natural shadow for the right side of her face, as well as her neck, including the cast shadow of her head onto her neck. Then I used a pen in Erase mode to draw a few hairs sticking out from her head.
On a new layer above the black layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for her irises (giving her black eyes).
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush to create a soft reflection in her irises.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a soft round brush and a lighter shade of gray to create a soft brighter area in the lower part of the reflection in her irises.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for catchlights in her eyes.
On a new layer below the iris layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for the whites of her eyes.
On a new layer just above the layer with the whites of her eyes, but below the layer with the irises, I used a soft round brush to create brighter areas in the centers of the whites of her eyes. This effectively creates shadows in the corners of her eyes.
On a new layer above all the other eye layers, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for black rims of her eyes, and also her eyebrows.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used a pen to draw red lines rimming her lower eyelids.
On a new layer just below the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create long black triangular shapes descending from her lower eyelids. (Why did I put this layer just below the previous layer? So I wouldn’t have to be too careful about getting a good seam between these descending shapes and the rims of her eyes. The upper ends of the descending shapes is hidden behind the red rims on the layer immediately above.)
On a new layer above all the other layers, I used the Vector tool to create two shapes for her upper and lower lips. It’s hard to tell here, but I made the upper lip a slightly darker shade of red than that of her lower lip. Then I used a small black pen to draw the shadow between her lips as a fine line. Then, using a slightly lighter shade of red than that of her lower lip, I used a soft round brush to paint a highlight on her lower lip.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create two shapes for her nostrils.
On a new layer just below the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create a lighter-colored shape for for the shadow on and under the lower part of her nose.
On a new layer below the layer with her eyebrows, I used the Vector tool to create two shapes to represent the shadows on either side of her nose. I put this below the eyebrow layer so that I could hide the ends of the nose shadow shapes underneath her eyebrows, where the shadows would naturally end anyway.
On a new layer above all the other layers, I used the Vector tool to create shapes to represent her hair.
On a new layer above the black layer, I used the Vector tool to create shapes for stripes in her shirt. I like how making the stripes the same color as the background actually merges the foreground with the background in an abstract way.
On a new layer above the previous layer, I used the Vector tool to create striking red shapes on either side of her head. This adds some much-needed red to the image to give it its energy.
