Painting In My New Studio

The studio is not finished but since I'm home, I decided to empty the cardboard boxes and set up the easel to do a little work.  While unpacking, I found this portrait of Mom & Dad that I had started several years ago.  Decided to be adventurous and attempt to finish it.   Took photo after each session to share with you and also to refer to if I lost my way.  It's not done and may never be--got a few others like that hanging around!   Feel free to comment and critique.

After posting these side by side, I think that I need to lengthen her face just a little bit, drop the chin by 1/4". I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

Mom and Dad

This might have been easier if I had shaded his eyes dark like it shows in the photo, but I wanted to be able to see them. Now if I could just get him to smile.

Laura

I sketched this from a photograph instead of a file on my computer. Not quite sure where it is right now, but when I find it, I'll post it for comparison.

Brenda Tracy Smith, whom I first met in third grade at Harrison Valley Elementary. I haven't seen her since I left high school halfway through 11th grade. I just finished this sketch and will revisit it with some changes for the better in the next few weeks.

Ed and Janet Vainio, Missoula, MT. They were interim pastors at the church we attend for about nine months. I love them both.

Kyla Morton, the music teacher at Stevensville High School, Montana, and a very good friend. This sketch has seen numerous reworkings and just keeps getting better and better.

Alejandra Pina Ramirez. She is a cousin of Gabriel, Amanda's son, and was eight years old at the time of the photo. I can see things in my sketch that aren't right, but what really jumps out at me is that I drew her mother. Ha, ha!! However, considering that I sketched this in about 1-1/2 hours, I'm not displeased with the result.

Harold Mitchell's daughter, Ciera.

We have a lion and a tiger!

Home, Messy Home

Had a late start this morning due to snow and since the light was good, I decided to take pictures for you of our great room. It looks "lived in" but still unfinished.

I took the original photo and blew it up to approximately the same size that I am working on, then printed that out and am using that as my reference. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it will be ready for Facebook in a week or two.

Look for the "sparkle" in this photo

See all those reflections and highlights? You'd have to save them at the very beginning of your pencil drawing and work around them. In watercolor too, but in oil or acrylic you can paint them on top of the darker colors as you near the end of the painting.

What a struggle to get this far! I've spent quite a lot of time working this over and am still not there, but I'm getting closer. Took your advice, Phyl, and made her eyes and glasses larger and also spread them apart, changed nose and mouth slightly, changed left cheek, changed hairline, etc. I'm going to keep working at this, but may have to use the grid.

Five Times and Counting

You can see the progression below--from the first draft through successive revisions. I'm getting closer (I think), but I'm missing it somewhere. Comments?

Good Christmas

We moved into our new house a few days before Christmas and with the moving, didn't have as much time as usual to worry about stuff. We bought a new sectional sofa and that was our gift to each other. Then we bought each other a few needed items--shoes, slippers, jeans, socks, etc. I took a day off on Thurs. and Fri. was a holiday day so worked hard to get things unpacked and the house in order--was impossible to do it all. We went to church on Christmas Eve and then decided not to bother wrapping gifts, etc since we knew everything that we had bought for each other--couldn't find the tape anyway! Christmas morning I found the tape and wrapped gifts for T&T and baked my cookies (dough was in the fridge). Then continued sorting things while the roast beef was cooking. T&T were both on call so we ate in shifts but it was still good to spend the evening with them.

Good to be in the house even though we're living with lots of boxes and clutter. Have a few people looking at the old house to rent--met with a couple today that we both felt comfortable about. Wade is showing it to some others tomorrow. Pray that something works out, please. We still have some things to move and have to spend some time cleaning up.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a great new year!

I've located my sketch pad and am redrawing these (and Bob) in it. I will need to draw them on my paint boards as well. Going to get a lot of practice. No more scrap paper, unless, of course, it happens. For now, this is as far as I'm going with these sketches.

OK, some minor changes here and there. Getting closer all the time. I see some of Aunt Renee here. Which one do you think is better?

How's that for a first draft? Less than one hour, start to finish. I used this photo, but tilted it 10 degrees right so that the drawing (and portrait wouldn't lean so heavily to the left. The baby is not mine.

Beth, why do you have to be so difficult? I've spent hours working on this, tweaking it here, adjusting there, and still don't have it right. The last 2% is the killer. Excellent practice, though.

Phyl, would this be easier if she wasn't looking directly at the camera?





I spent a few minutes making some small changes, e.g., ear is longer, eyes modified, nose slightly wider at the bottom, mouth slightly shorter and tilted a little, hat 1/4" taller, etc. I like this one. There is a softness in Bob's face that isn't in the previous one.