A digital portrait?!

Are you ready for some awesomeness? This couple was basically the coolest Etsy clients I've ever had. (Unless you've also ordered from me, in which case, you are also the coolest client I've ever had.) They had received a Drawworm gift certificate as a wedding gift, but after seeing some of my digital paintings (which you can see here), they asked for a digital portrait rather than my usual pencil work.

I gathered a few more wedding photos from the clients so I could understand how their clothing worked. They were even kind enough to take a picture of themselves holding hands, to make that part of the drawing easier for me. (Drawing two people holding hands is surprisingly difficult!)

First I started out with a digital sketch, one with the bride wearing her trenchcoat and one without. (She decided on the one without, which I thought was a good idea because her dress is so pretty.)

Then I started adding basic colors and adjusting the shapes.

Next I began adding shading and refining the faces. I also made one of the bride's shoes visible, and added a "gartel," a special belt the groom was wearing that wasn't really visible in the photographs.

I continued adding shading and details, sending the drawing to the client for feedback. She had quite an eye for detail, and her suggestions really improved the finished piece.

I'm not gonna lie, you guys, I'm really happy with this. I'm going to send a nice printed copy to the clients so they can frame it. Digital painting is a lot of fun - I worked on this almost obsessively, sometimes staying up until 1 AM because I just couldn't stop painting! I'm definitely considering adding a "custom digital portrait" listing to my Etsy shop.

Thanks, Leiba and Srulie, you guys were awesome. And congratulations on your wedding!