Naomi Whittaker is the main character of my ongoing comic, Cardinal Traits. She is strong and fierce, and I wanted to do a series of drawings to showcase her personality and personal style. I experimented with color, line art, and even used digital tools in conjunction with traditional tools a few times. I really tried to push myself with this work, and I ended up learning a lot. 

This was done in a very sketchy manner. Expressive lines and warm colors were important to this piece. It was not about precision. I need to do more drawings that allow me to focus less on precision and more on creating something with a pulse, with life. I tend to constrict myself with my art, and sometimes, I need to just let go and allow myself to respond to the material. 

In this drawing, I did a similar thing, but with more control. The lines have character, but they are more thought out here. As is obvious, I really like dramatic light. Heavy shadows and bold highlights, not a lot of in between. Sort of flattens everything out, but that’s okay, as the point is not to be photorealistic, but to express Naomi’s personality, and it definitely came across in this drawing. I designed Naomi to dress like a millennial, which means high waisted bottoms and throwback trends, like jean jackets and plaid. Clothes, for Naomi, are an extension of who she is, and she chooses them carefully and wisely. 

This drawing was inspired by the British model Twiggy. I saw her in a similar green dress and thought it would look great on Naomi, and it does. The hair was done on impulse. I thought she should have it more tame as to not distract the viewer’s eyes from her dress. Her appearance is very demure, and it shows a more reserved side to her personality.

So, this drawing is basically the opposite of the one above. Here, she is in an established place as opposed to a greenish limbo. Her hair is out and billowing, and she has sort of a “come hither” look to express her sexuality. Notice that her legs are visible in both drawings, but in this one, it is more sensual and the other seems more modest. It is all about context. 

I hadn’t really done a bust of Naomi yet, and this was the first. I ended up going with a triangular composition. The lines sort of lead to her chest, and her chest moves the eye out and back up, and it’s a cycle. She has a pericing look in her eyes, but her lips have the boldest colors in the composition and add something strange to her facial expression. She looks like she’s questioning something or confused in some way. Every time I look at this drawing, I am left with so many questions about Naomi. She seems like an enigma, and I want to get to know her, frankly because it may be difficult to do so. 

I get frustrated when I look at this drawing because it could have been so much better. This is one of the first drawings I did of Naomi that included digital and traditional tools. I used Prismacolor colored pencil for her skin and Crayola markers for her outfit and hair. I did not spend enough time on refining the colored pencil, and her clevage begins too high up on her chest because I drew flat instead of at an angle. I do like the pose, the marker, and the blocked colors in the nonobjective space. As a drawing, this is not that great, but as a study, it works. The point of this drawing was to express that Naomi is proud of her heritage. Her dad’s mom was from Kenya and his dad was from Jamaica, so Naomi was raised to appreciate black culture, and she took a liking to African inspired clothing.

I had to do a drawing of Naomi in braids, because braids have a long history in African culture. They symbolized social class, marital status, etc. I think the pose is a little awkward, but I really like the painterly leggings. 

Lastly, this is another traditional and digital mix. I inked it traditionally and took a photo and added digital color. I like how she looks away from the viewer and off to the side. It is as if she is playing hard to get. The hair is the star of the show in this piece. It has a lot of texture, and I love it. The smirk works well with her personality also. Overall, this is a strong drawing to express who Naomi is.