Portraits

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Mother’s Day Giveaway Grand Prize

The grand prize goes to the aunt of this little cutey! The fun of this giveaway was the absolute challenge each one has given me. In painting they teach you to get photos without a wide smile – teeth are hard! And baby faces are very hard. Then both had their faces scrunched as their joy was ready to explode. And Wellington was taken from a photo of a painting – something new! So this was tremendously fun and beneficial for me, and I also get the joy of giving gifts. This is what a giveaway should be about. Joy.

Some in-process glimpses:

If you would like to be considered in future giveaways, please join my email list. We have another one coming up in July and I would love to include you!

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Wellington in Ink

One of the winners of my Mother’s Day ink portrait giveaways chose an image of Wellington for his office. This was a lot of fun. I have never created a portrait of a historical figure before. He chose a famous painting for me to base my ink portrait off of by Thomas Lawrence.

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Farm Life – Sketch 1

I am playing around with ideas for a more distanced portrait. Sometimes it is nice to get the person in their daily element. This is Stephen – a farmer and a craftsman by trade. This was a composition, colors, and values practice sketch. Expect a few more to be posted before I decide which one to go with for the larger version.

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Sassy

Sassy, a poodle/rat terrier mix (Ratty) was a great challenge on how to show a salt and pepper coat. I chose to go with a line and wash style, using Micron pens and then Daniel Smith watercolors over that.

I always start with eyes. If I can’t get those right, I start over because nothing will work right from that point forward. The owner was thrilled with the eyes, so we got a win! The Rat Terrier is strong in this girl, and she is smart as a whip.

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Shira

I am beginning to work on larger scale portraits. This is Shira. An adorable puppy training to be a therapy dog. I opted for no ink on this little floof of sweet cotton candy. Even on her eyes, which are big black buttons, yet with a sense of depth.

She is in constant motion and putting ink into the mix would stop that motion, in my mind. She has no hard, defined edges. Such a sweetheart. Her personality and temperament is perfect for a little girl who will be bringing smiles to people’s faces her whole life.

Mostly Daniel Smith and some Qor watercolors were applied with a size 10 and 12 brush.

She was a pleasure to paint.

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Inktober Portrait

I am running way behind on posting to the blog! If you want to catch me in real time, I can also be found on Facebook or Instagram. Instagram has short process reels starting to appear also, as I am learning how to create them (and overcome my nerves!)

This year I am wanting to work more seriously on my portraiture. So I asked a coworker if I could draw his son, whom I met at a company BBQ, thus the company hat and keychain. He was such a delight to work on and my first Inktober piece. Nothing like warming up to the inks in the most intense way possible! When Jasper saw his picture he told his dad he wanted it on his wall. What a sweet compliment!

I did the entire piece with a pencil sketch, then this brush dipped in Higgins black waterproof ink (and a raccoon mug of water.) Again – Inktober was about working on the balance of tones and values with the ink. I saw myself progress as the month did. I doubt an artist every feels they have arrived, though, so I have learned to just accept where I am, knowing with each piece I am growing my skill.

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Tanuary 2022

Pencil work

Work was extra challenging in January, but I caught a few moments on the weekends to do several drawings on tan paper.

A quick charcoal piece of my brother and I riding on Dad’s back.
Quick ink sketch for the prompt “bike” – yeah, it really does not look like my brother and I, but we were the humans.
“Self” – Yep – need to work on my inking of faces!! I got out of practice.
Finished glass “door knob”
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Tanuary 2021

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. from the Finding Your Roots (PBS) show

I like to work on a tan sketchbook in January – although I was too busy with nieces and our weekly zoom coaching sessions to do the full Tanuary challenge on social media. We had a lot of fun, even so.

I challenged the kids to use different surfaces, including cardboard pieces and talked about charcoal, pencil, crayon, pen etc. It was good drawing practice for all involved.