Marker Magic: Create a Bold, Colorful Portrait with Adrian Drott

Meet Adrian Drott, a Swedish 3D video-game artist by profession who has a passion for creating bold, colorful portraits with alcohol markers.

"I enjoy trying to capture the feelings and expressions that we can so easily connect with when we look at another person’s face," says Adrian, "At the same time, I’m very inspired by the bold colors and energy of impressionist painters, so I often approach my drawings in a more painterly way."

In this lesson (53 minutes), Adrian invites you to embrace his playful, painterly approach to portraiture. The core focus here is learning to see in shapes and values. 

By squinting away the distractions of detail, you’ll discover how to block out a silhouette and build a portrait that "reads" instantly, even if you aren't aiming for strict realism.

The Palette of Play

Working from a high-contrast reference photo, Adrian demonstrates how a limited palette can create maximum impact. Rather than getting overwhelmed by a rainbow of options, he uses just three core colors for the subject:

• Lights: A pale, light yellowish tone.
• Mids: A vibrant mid-orange.
• Darks: A deep, dark red.

By using cooler, complementary blue and green tones for the background, Adrian shows you how to create atmospheric depth and make your subject truly pop.

Trusting the Process

Adrian’s philosophy centers on exploration over perfection. He advocates for starting with small composition sketches to find your footing before moving to a larger sheet. 

Throughout the lesson, you’ll learn why it’s vital to build from light to dark—since alcohol markers are a one-way street when it comes to value—and how to resist the urge to commit to dark details too early in the journey. Let's get started!