Haile Selassie portrait on t-shirt

[ElNacho]

Hello, this was my first airbrushed portrait, on a white Tee.

It is B&W although I've not used pure white or pure black, just grays.

He is Haile Selassie, also known as Ras Tafari, worshiped by the rastafari community, that a friend of mine asked.

It is painted with an Iwata Revolution BCR, I don't know the dimensions but you can see with the sleeves of the shirt.

I couldn't take good pics as I had to return the camera quickly, some mid-tones seem very light, in the first pic seems more near to the real thing.

All the feedback is more than welcome as always.


http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Apr-2007/89581-haile1.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Apr-2007/89581-haile2.jpg

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Apr-2007/89581-haile3.JPG

reference:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/30-Apr-2007/89581-ethiopia-Haile_Selassie.jpg

[junery]

That's Great Portrait That's For Sharing Nacho

[obxbear]

Looks like you did him just as the ref. pic, looks great, no crit from me, keep up the good work.....

[junery]

i just wonder how you made the hair and the beard any tips for a beginner like me

[AirTodd]

Nice looking portrait.

[ElNacho]

Thanks, now that I watched the ref pic I realised that the printed ref which I used to paint had lost detail and some value ranges.

Junery, I don't know either how to do that stuff so I was fooling around with the airbrush and tried to do some texture with the lightest grays, like dots or little lines that seem to be like a hole, and then with the darker grays I darkened those holes or made another ones. For example the zone where the hair joins the beard, there are dots there, not perfect circles, that are done with a light gray. And I learned that when doing a texture it is important not to cover all the area with it, because if you join all the dots they will not work like dots anymore and it will be like plain painting. I hope it helps

[Te_Wheke]

ElNacho, Killer portrait on Tee, you have good detail for a Tee-Shirt especially. The camera shot may have washed out some of the detail it looks that way to me. I wish my first T-Shirt portrait looked this good!!!!

Keep up the great work!

[slaterza]

Really nice job on this portrait. I have heard the name but did not know what the person looked like. Looks like you captured a good likeness too. Well done.

[ElNacho]

Thanks Te and Sam!
I appreciate your comments, next time it won't be too long until I post again. But I've moved to another apartment so hadn't been painting for a while.

[Airbrushazazin]

nice portrait

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

Good job! It looks very close to the reference. So, your mid-tones are light cuz you did a great job copying the reference! I always hate it when people do a nice portrait and do it on a Tee. hehehehehhe Good artwork should last longer!

Nice job, ElNacho. Turned out great.


Tim

[ElNacho]

Thanks airbrushazzazin and Tim

Tim, I know it is a waste to paint some stuff on shirts, but I'm taking these tees that I'm doing as a learning process. I will start some canvas next month maybe, but I feel like it requires more responsabiliy to paint something that I really like or I composed. When I ended the tee I had spare paint in the cup so I fooled around on a wood board, I think I will paint the whole board and it will be called "Picasso's nightmare" hehehe

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

Hey, do what you want. I painted on a couple t-shirts waaaay back in like '95 but mine sucked. But it's funny... I STILL have the shirt I first painted using Createx. That thing was washed so much but the color is not bad after all that. I just painted like circles and lightning bolts and some text.

Well, I'm sure your next one will be cool.

Tim

[airbrush_ken]

I do remember the picture mate,
I have to say you did an excellent job with the rendering.
Very Nice

Ken

Tim, 95' isn't way back it's the other day...lol..

[optic]

Nice one, well done El Nacho!!! I felt the same as Tim did...I would be very sad if the Tshirt got old and the colors washed away one day, but whoever wears this must be proud to carry such a nicely detailed art work on him for sure...:thumbsup:

[Pilon]

Great job.
I know Haile Selassie since I was a young boy, going through history books (LIFE). IT had a very good color photo of him there, but I can't find that book anywhere.
And like the rest said, It would be a shame if the colors will fade out.
mmm...don't give it away, frame it !

[ProfessorGreibowitz]

Yeah, Ken, I haven't been brushing as long as you so my way back doesn't have B.C. after the year. :) uk uk uk uk!

Heck, I think Ken is old enough that when God said "Let there be light!" Ken flipped the switch!

Tim

[ElNacho]

Thank you guys again, I'm working on another tee right now, it is fun to paint them and as I am learning I try to do my best. I will post again when I finish that one and get to take a few pics.

[Arejay]

Very nice job ElNacho!!