BITS AND PIECES

This will be the last posting of this portrait painting until after it is completed and the collector has it in her home. I am closing in on the final details and I want it to be seen in person by the client, rather than in a photo which usually doesn't do the painting justice. :-)

So... what I am showing you today are bits and pieces of the painting - parts which are mostly done and drying. 

I love how there is a glow on the underside of her arm...and against that lovely shirt, it really shows up.

There is more work to be done on this long blonde hair - but I love the facial hair and chin!

This hair just has the undercoat done - so much more to be done on it. I love the necklace, and the shadow from the sweater against the skin - so subtle!


So there you have it - as much as you are going to see until it is completed! :-) I am really looking forward to presenting this to its owner. I might even do a bit of a happy dance.

NO FREAKING OUT ALLOWED- UGLY AHEAD

 I try to warn my students (and always tell myself) that there is going to be a period of time in every painting that is the "ugly stage". The stage where you are sure it should be thrown away, or that you should put down the brushes and never pick them up again. 

So - I want you all to know that this posting is of UGLY - no way around it. Not that the people in this painting are ugly - far from it...they are all very good looking! But they are just growing into their beauty in this portrait painting business...a bit at a time. :-) And right now they are ugly....next week they will be much better!

NEXT STEPS

 I am working on getting all the skin blocked in before moving into clothing or hair or background.

Here is the work on the sister's skin. As I said, the photos don't necessarily reflect the actual colors of the painting, and once clothing is established, it all changes tone anyway. :-)

I am happy with how things are progressing!

BIRTHING A PORTRAIT

Recently, I received a commission to do an oil portrait of three young adults from the same family. The collector requested a 20" x 20" canvas, and gave me permission to post the portrait from beginning to end.

I must first warn everyone...I paint in layers and so what you see in these first few posts will not be what you see in the finished piece. Colors shift and change as hair color and clothing, background and detailing are done, and as the light in the studio changes. Sometimes I can get good photos that accurately reflect what is on the canvas and other times it looks too dark or too light compared to the actual work.

So, having given that warning, here are the first few photos of the beginning stages of this very fun-to-do painting. 

The first step is to draw what will be the portrait onto the canvas. The photo reference is a rectangular picture, but the collector and I decided to go for a square format, which we find a more interesting shape for this portrait. It also allows me to show more of the 3 figures, and cut down on the amount of background that surrounds them.

The first thing I did was block in the eyes in each of the figures. Here I have begun to put in the first layer of flesh tones in the female's face. She's going to look strange for quite a while as I do some parts of the face and leave others...

Here you can see how the face is being developed, slowly creating the planes of the face in the underpainting.  

A bit more is done here. As the work progresses, more layers are done, adding dimension to the face. Eye color will be adjusted toward the end of the painting, and hair will also be one of the final things to be done. 

So here is the beginning of this work that I will be enjoying for the next several weeks. I hope you will come back to see what the next steps look like! :-)

PRINCESS MIKAYLA

Princess Mikayla
9" x 12" oil

My friend's little girl is a princess indeed! She is all over posing for the camera, and getting prettied up for me to take her picture.
I am happy to have completed this portrait ...painting always gives me a feeling of peace and joy.