Scratchboard Illustration Of a Skeleton for a Wine label

Time-lapse video showing the process of rendering by hand a skeleton about to enter a wine cellar. It is at night and the skeleton is holding a lamp. The name of the wine cellar is Dry Bone Cellars.

I used Poser to setup the pose and lighting for the skeleton. I also put in a small ground plane, which I could use to work out the perspective for the rest of the drawing. I then place a render of the skeleton pose in Illustrator CC and used the Perspective Grid to rough in the wall, door, sign, barrels and vessels. All this was just for reference, and I used it to work out a pencil sketch of the composition.

This was an exceptionally fun and interesting project.

Note 1: I try to show my work process as accurately as possible. However, I do take some liberties with the editing of the videos. For instance, almost all my videos use time lapse to speed up the process. I would like to show an entire drawing in real time, but even my simplest drawings can take a full day--major drawings can take one to two weeks. No one wants to watch me draw for two weeks. Also, some of my edits are just for my own enjoyment. Video is a hobby for me, and I like to experiment.

Note 2: I call my drawing medium scratchboard, and it is. However, a more accurate description of my technique would be "pen and ink on white scratchboard." I work on white scratchboard, and I draw with pen and ink the parts that have a value of 50 percent gray or less. For areas that are 50 percent gray or darker, I block in with solid black ink and scratch in white lines for detail.

Note 3: I am showing how I work. However, although I have been an illustrator for over 35 years, there may be times when I am doing it wrong or not doing it in the best way.

Note 4: I am a commercial artist--not a fine artist. My work is meant to be printed. My clients don't usually care what my work would look like hanging on a wall. They only care what it looks like when printed in their ad, book, billboard, package, etc. Almost all the drawings in my videos have been used commercially.

Materials I use: Ampersand Claybord, white, 1/8 inch thick; Koh-i-noor Rapidograph pens (sizes I use most--.000, .00, .0); Higgins Black Magic ink or Koh-i-noor ink; Scratch-Art knives.

Illustration and video by Michael Halbert:
http://www.michael-halbert.com/
http://www.inkart.com/
http://www.behance.net/MichaelHalbert

Music from incompetech:
http://incompetech.com/
Song: Moonlight Hall