Graphite/Colored Pencil Realism: The Making of a Chief Completed

Graphite/Colored Pencil Realism: The Making of a Chief Completed: "Every once and a while, as an artist, we find just the right composition that motivates and challenges our creativity. This portrait ..."

The Making of a Chief Completed

Every once and a while, as an artist, we find just the right composition that motivates and challenges our creativity.  This portrait study of my good friend, Chief Kris Nahrgang, did just that and I wanted to honour him in an authentic historical capacity. Kris is an Ojibway Chief of the Kawartha Nishnawbe First Nations in Burleigh Falls, Ontario and has a very diverse background, licensed as a professional archaeologist and a world renown sculptor.   Graphite, my medium of choice, was a perfect tool that allowed me to bring this image to life in a very powerful way.  I strategically used a wide range of subtle tones and a deep rich background to amplify his ceremonial dress in the most dramatic way.  To balance the composition and bring symbolism into the theme I silhouetted the Bald Eagle, the  connection to the creator for the Nishnawbe.

Striking Distance



A graphite and colored pencil drawing by
Artist Doug Comeau



 This composition depicts a walleye about to strike and was commissioned by the Kiwanis Club for the 2011 Walleye Fishing derby in Trenton, Ontario May 6 -8.  Come visit Sculpture Artist Kris Nahrgang, http://www.spiritofthestone.ca/ and me at the Roadhouse Gallery, Canada's first mobile gallery, at the derby, we will have these prints on hand there plus much, much more!!

We will also be featuring our premier print, "The Making of a Chief"











The Making of a Chief Cont'd

Back again! Getting close to the final stretch with this 53 study. The fine details are coming out now specifically throughout the jacket and horse hair.  A few more hours of strategic darkening and lightening should have it completed.  I will post the completed piece once I have it professionally shot in about a week.  This will definitely show you the detail close to looking at it in person.  Thanks for watching so far!

Image Size: 17 x 20 inches

The Making of a Chief Continued

Hello everyone.  Here is study number 52, about 69 hours into this piece leaving about 15 to go.  The tones are really bring the depth into this composition now as we get closer to the finished rendition.
The photography was done under my studio light hence the yellow tint, the previous photo was at the gallery under natural light.  Kind of an interesting hue.

The Making of a Chief



17 x 20 inches


This is a graphite drawing of Kris Nahrgang, an Ojibway Chief and world renown sculptor in Southern Ontario.  We happen to be business partners in Canada's first mobile art gallery, visit http://www.roadhousegallery.ca/ I have created a sequential series of this drawing and have posted the 42nd study.  At this point I have accumulated approximately 40 hours on the board.  I expect to finish this piece in a week or so and will publish 4 studies in total through the rest of the process, the forth will be the finished composition.  This is a very intricate and dedicated drawing for me and I can't wait to have it done, too excited!!!

Red Tail

Beautiful Image Doug! Just Beautiful.
Erin Hobbs

13 .5 x 25 inches

 Here is a good example of a graphite and colored pencil composition of a Red Tailed Hawk.  I first completed the hawk in graphite with all the tone levels.  Once completed I tinted the whole image with a series of colored pencils from blues, browns, yellows and finally greens.  Although a time consuming project it ended up being a very gratifying endevour.