Alright, let me tell you about this little project I got myself into, something I’ve been calling my ‘Avery G. Johnson’ phase. It wasn’t some big plan, you know, just sort of happened.
I was just scrolling online one evening, looking at different art styles, and stumbled across some really interesting sketches. Didn’t catch the artist’s name properly at first, but the technique stuck with me. Later, digging around, I found references linking it back to someone, or maybe a style, named Avery G. Johnson. Seemed like a specific way of handling light and shadow in portraits, real minimalist but effective. I thought, “Hey, I could try that.”
Getting Started
So, the next weekend, I grabbed my old sketchbook, the one gathering dust on the shelf, and a couple of pencils. Nothing fancy, just standard HB and maybe a 2B. Didn’t want to invest much until I knew if I’d stick with it. My first goal was simple: just try to replicate the feel I saw in those examples. Forget likeness, just focus on the light.
My first attempts? Let’s just say they weren’t great. Really messy. It looked less like defined shadow and more like I’d smudged the whole page by accident. It’s harder than it looks to use less graphite to show more, if that makes sense. I spent a good hour just making weird shapes, trying to get a feel for how little pressure I needed.
The Daily Grind
I decided the only way to get better was to actually do it. Regularly. So, I committed to spending about 20-30 minutes each evening, right after dinner. Here’s kinda what I focused on, step-by-step, based on what I could figure out:
- First, lightly sketch the basic outline. Super light, barely there.
- Then, figure out the main light source. This was key. Where’s the light hitting?
- Instead of shading everything, just put down the darkest shadows. Real definite shapes.
- Leave the highlights completely blank. Like, pure white paper.
- Maybe add a tiny bit of mid-tone, but sparingly. Less is more seemed to be the rule.
Some nights it felt like a chore. I’d stare at the page, then at my reference photo (usually just random faces from online), and nothing would click. The shadows looked flat, the face looked weird. There were a few evenings I just scribbled out of frustration and stopped early.
Making Some Headway
The turning point wasn’t dramatic. It was more gradual. Maybe after two or three weeks of consistent practice, I did a sketch one night, and it… well, it didn’t suck. I managed to capture that feeling of light hitting a cheekbone, leaving the other side mostly suggested. It wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it was the first time I looked at it and thought, “Okay, I see a glimmer of that ‘Avery G. Johnson’ style here.”
That little success kept me going. I started experimenting more, trying different angles, different kinds of faces. Some worked, some were disasters, but I was learning with each one. Mostly learning what not to do.
Where I’m At Now
So, that’s the story so far. I wouldn’t call myself an expert in this Avery G. Johnson technique, not by a long shot. But I’ve filled a good chunk of that old sketchbook. Looking back at the first few pages compared to the most recent ones, there’s definitely progress. It’s become a nice little ritual now, a way to unwind and focus on something completely different. It’s proof that just sticking with something, even for a short time each day, actually works. Who knew?
