manic mantis gallery

The wonders of charcoal. From realism portraits to traditional work. Charcoal is most versatile in the right hands.

PART 3 — CLEANING UP THE DESIGN ✍️

Now we’re getting into the details.

In this part I continue cleaning up the original charcoal design—tightening the linework, correcting shapes, and working through the areas that weren’t reading clearly.

This is one of my favorite parts of the process. A rough drawing doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to give you enough information to start solving problems.

Draw it. Find the problems. Fix them. Keep moving.

More cleanup coming in Part 4.

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Don’t judge it yet.
This design has problems. A lot of them. 😆

Wobbly lines. Awkward shapes. Areas that just aren’t working.

But that doesn’t mean we throw it away.

I’m going through it piece by piece—cleaning the linework, correcting the shapes, fixing the composition, and adding the shading it should have had from the beginning.

Watch the ugly stage turn into something amazing. 👀

Sometimes the tool becomes the problem.

I was fighting the broad tip, so I simplified the equation: switch to a ballpoint pen and focus on the movement.

Once the technical distraction is gone, we can concentrate on what actually matters — how the lowercase e is built, where the stroke changes direction, and how to make it consistently.

Master the letter first.

Connecting it to the next letter?
That’s the next installment. 👀

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SAME GENRE. DIFFERENT APPROACH.

Traditional tattooing doesn’t have to mean color.

The foundation remains the same—bold readable shapes, strong linework, intentional contrast, open skin and a composition designed to hold up over time.

One version uses a limited color palette to create separation and emphasis.

The other uses black, grey, value and skin tone to accomplish the same job.

Different treatment. Same traditional foundation.

Because before I ask “What colors should I use?”
I ask:

Is it tattooable?
How will it age?

So now I’ll ask you—
which approach do you want to wear the most? 👽

I’ve been having a lot of fun taking traditional pinup language and pushing it into my own little universe. Linework first, values second, then just enough color to bring her to life.

The more of these I draw, the more this alien/traditional thing is starting to feel like its own language.

Would you wear this one?

Do the work, you will improve at anything you do!

Your hand follows your eyes.
If the full line feels intimidating, map it first.

Place a dot where you’re going.
Pull past the target.
Reconnect with intention.

Clean linework isn’t luck — it’s planning ahead. 🎯✍️