The Sketching Process - Archangel Zauriel

As a goodbye gift, I recently drew a picture of the Archangel Zauriel from the DC Comics for a friend. I figured it would be a good opportunity to outline the overall process since I've never really given much thought as to how I take a picture I find/like all the way to creating a finalized sketch.
		Step 1: (2 Hours) Of the entire overall sketching process, I would say that this step is the hardest. The first step that I take when I sketch a picture is to create a very basic, light outline of the overall picture. Often times it requires quite a few trial and error runs - mostly it is fitting the image into the space you want and accurate proportions - very rarely am I able to pull of something that I am satisfied with in the 1st time. Since this will be the skeleton for the drawing, it is very important that I get a sketch that you feel comfortable with.
Step 2: (1 Hour) Once I've gotten a basic sketch in place, the next step is really entails cleaning it up: which includes darkening the existing lines and erasing anything that doesn't quite fit. Unlike the previous step, this step actually goes by rather quickly. One thing that I almost always find myself having to resist at this point is adding in extra details or jumping around the picture to sections that are interesting and/or filled with details.
		Step 3: (1 to 2 Hours) Now the fun really begins. With the overall sketch pretty much now in place, at this point I go through and start adding in all the details of the picture while also removing anything that might still be out of place or doesn't quite fit. By the time this step is over, there will be very little, if anything else that gets changed, so it can be a fairly time consuming process, but by far the most interesting and entertaining.
Step 4: (4 to 5 Hours) While step 3 may be the most entertaining phase, step 4 is probably the most tedious. After step 3 the sketch is essentially complete, now the final details, filling in, and shadowing are all that remain. While drawing a sketch without a referring source may require more effort at this step - especially when taking into consideration how the lighting will impact the shadowing - having a pre-existing source takes care of these details. So at this point I just simply spend the next long while finalizing the details - starting in the upper left hand corner and working left to right to avoid smudging the lead since I am right-handed.
Finished Product: (Total Time: Approximately 8 Hours)
Definitely a labor-intensive hobby but the joy of taking something you see and being able to recreate it is definitely fulfilling and enjoyable.

My Passion for Drawing

For as long as I can remember, I've always had a love for drawing. At one point I wanted to be a professional artist but my mom helped open my eyes - you don't become famous or rich until you die - while that bit of advice may have altered my professional career (part of the reason I decided to major in marketing) it has not changed my love of it as a hobby. Whether it be a quick doodle in class or an involving project that can take months, I love the peace, comfort, and escape that drawing can provide me. Unfortunately I have not had the time or energy to focus and involve myself with my artwork as much as I have wanted but I'm hoping to be able to devote more time and effort to my drawing within the upcoming months. For now, here are my latest pictures - scanned from my sketchbook. You can also check them out on my Flickr's account as well.