Kevin Contreras
Artist | Hobbyist | Traditional Art

United States

Tell me about yourself!

Gladly! My name is Kevin Contreras. I'm 18 years old and I live in Texas. I love drawing and some photography, but I'm far from being a pro. I also love riding bikes and playing some basketball!

How long have you been drawing and how did you got to be this good?

I started making little doodles of space, cowboys, oil wells, dinosaurs, and lots of other things when I was like around 4. At around 8, I got Highlights for Children magazine, and in the section called My Own Pages features selected drawings from kids ages 6 to as old as 13 that were mailed to the magazine. From age 8 to around 11, I've been using the magazine's section as inspiration to draw such as animals, aircraft, landscapes, ect. After those three years, my drawing skills started to really improve.

From 2006 through early 2011, I drew mostly space scenery and military aircraft, especially fighter jets and bombers. Back in August 2010, I was recommended by a friend to join the deviantART community, and I did, but, however, quickly lost interest. Around May 2011, I realized I could really improve my drawing skills from tutorials from other artists on deviantART. I also found out that I wasn't using the right tools, so that's when I bought art supplies for drawing quality graphite art. So if you want to be a great artist, you have to be commited.

What art supplies do you use to make a drawing?

Before June 2011, I used ordinary office paper. Although the paper is really smooth, it is also very thin, therefore it can't hold a lot of graphite or withstand extensive erasing. The paper that I use now is Strathmore Bristol Smooth 300 Series A4 sized paper, which is much thicker paper and it's almost as smooth as office paper.

For pencils, I at first used a regular writing #2 or HB pencil to draw. Then, I started to buy drawing supplies and my first brand choice was Fabell-Castell 9000 pencils ranging from 2H to 6B leads. However, I since switched over to Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils with grades 6H, 4H, and 8B included. They're by far the most superior pencils I owned so far. I also have Derwent 9B pencils, but Staedtler 8B achieves a darker black. However, Derwent is also a great brand. With graphite pencils, I also have Derwent Charcoal pencils and they are in amazing quality!

For erasers, I use Faber-Castell vinyl erasers, which leaves very little residue compared to other kinds of erasers. I also use Faber-Castell kneaded erasers, which is a puddy-like eraser suited better for lifting graphite rather than completely erasing. Alongside with that, I use the Paper Mate Tuff Stuff Stick Eraser which is a better quality manual eraser stick than most other brands. However, the best eraser I have is the Sakura Electic Eraser. It's a cordless electric eraser and with a press of a button, the eraser spins at incredible speed and it's able to erase lots of graphite off of the paper. It's a great eraser!

For sharpeners, I only use hand-powered sharpeners. I have recently bought the Alvin Brass Bullet Pencil Sharpener and it's a great little sharpener.

For blending, I NEVER use my finger for blending, because the oil will damage your drawing. Instead, I use tissues, tortillions (which is rolled up paper), and blending stumps (which is solid paper). To sharpen my blending stumps, I use sandpaper. I don't use any specific brands for either.

I also have a stylus and other needles, which is great to make strands of hair.

I use black and white gel pens, but I rarely use them.

What do you and DO NOT draw?

I draw portraits, vehicles, scenery, and everything else you can think of! However, I do and will NOT draw hateful, extremely violent, pornographic, or propaganda material.

Can I make a request or ask for a commission? Where can I get prints?

As of right now, I'm not taking any requests or commissions. However, you can suggest a reference picture for me to draw. As for prints, you can always go to my deviantART prints tab and buy throught deviantART. As of right now, only a few of my works can be printed.


Links

Click here to vote how good of an artist I am! [link]

www.facebook.com/graphiteartbykevincontreras