Progress: Sleeping Beauty

Made lots of progress last week.  Still working on the underpainting of the dolls.  Almost ready for color for them. Painting 6 miniature portraits at odd angles is more challenging than the girl. (click to enlarge)

Sleeping Beauty

I started this painting last week.  This is the nearly complete underpainting.  (Then I will start adding color.) I need to buy a smaller brush in order to move on.   I plan on keeping a lot of the raw look of the background in tact.  Click to see larger.

Progress: Andrea, Twins, Nelle

Andrea and Twins each have only a few hours of work left on them.  Andrea has maybe 3 hours, Twins have maybe 1.  Of course, this often turns into 6 hours and 4 hours because I'll find a few more things to do or I will get caught up in making a very small detail perfect.

Click to see images larger.

I began a new painting of Nelle last night. I worked about 3 hours last night and 2 hours this morning before taking this picture.  For those new to my blog and painting process, it will be in color. 
The background will have a texture of a curtain I hung behind her. I'm unashamedly referencing one of my favorite art movmenets with this move. (See last image below.)

Mary Magdaline

Frederick Sandys (Preraphaelite artist)

This painting is part of the Delaware Art Museum collection.

Speaking of DE Art Museum, they do have a great collection. 

Check it out!

Progress: Andrea

I still have a lot of hair to paint in around her neck. I haven't focused much on painting the shirt yet; it won't be as intensely white, I will be calming it down and bringing detail to it with glazes. Also, other various details yet to add.

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While I work my favorite words that are in my mind about paint application are: opacity, trasnsulcency, and thinness, thickness. It is important to me that paintings feel like paintings. Applying all the paint equally will make for a less dymanic and interesting painting. These things you can't truely view or fully appreciate by a photographic reproduction. But I hope you enjoy viewing the work here anyway, even if it's not it's full glory (or even complete!). (This is the nature of the blog!)

Works in Progress Update

Hello!

I've been immersed in painting and forgot to pay attention to the hours going into these.

_

Twin nieces portrait:

It's pretty far along but it's got a lot more to go. I'm purposefully not letting you see it straight on till its complete, so you can't critique as easily a work that's incomplete! No complaints, you're lucky this is even public yet!

_

Friend Portrait:

Still not quite ready for color. But will be soon.

_

I will be starting two more portfolio portraits within a month or so. One of another friend, and one of a little 3 year old girl.

Thanks for visiting!

Works in Progress Update

Hello!

I've been immersed in painting and forgot to pay attention to the hours going into these.

_

Twin nieces portrait:

It's pretty far along but it's got a lot more to go. I'm purposefully not letting you see it straight on till its complete, so you can't critique as easily a work that's incomplete! No complaints, you're lucky this is even public yet!

_

Friend Portrait:

Still not quite ready for color. But will be soon.

_

I will be starting two more portfolio portraits within a month or so. One of another friend, and one of a little 3 year old girl.

Thanks for visiting!

Works in Progress Update

Hello!

I've been immersed in painting and forgot to pay attention to the hours going into these.

_

Twin nieces portrait:

It's pretty far along but it's got a lot more to go. I'm purposefully not letting you see it straight on till its complete, so you can't critique as easily a work that's incomplete! No complaints, you're lucky this is even public yet!

_

Friend Portrait:

Still not quite ready for color. But will be soon.

_

I will be starting two more portfolio portraits within a month or so. One of another friend, and one of a little 3 year old girl.

Thanks for visiting!

Twins portrait: Day 3

This is about 5 or 6 more hours of work since my last post. The tube of paint is Old Holland (my favorite brand, though I can't afford many of their colors, some are up to $70 for that size tube!). Cremnitz white is the color, an affordable color but one I need to not be sloppy about since it is a lead paint. There are many other kinds of whites out there, but none as lovely as cremitz white for my style of painting.

Lots of Activity!

Things I am up to in my studio right now:

Coloring Book:

I have begun another history coloring book for Bright Ideas Press. This is for Mystery of History III, and so far is my favorite coloring book to create yet! This book covers the Renaissance! Yes! There is a huge amount of art and imagery to pull from.

Family Portrait:

This commission is a gift from my friend to her future mother in law. It's from an old photograph of them about 20 years ago. I am really thankful there are a lot of things that are nice about this picture to make it work for painting! Good lighting, sweet expressions, and I really love the two visible hands. I'm getting close to completion! Just one or two afternoons left for work on it!


Twins Portrait:

For my sister's 30th birthday I am painting a portrait of her twins! Painting baby fat is so much fun!!! She already had her birthday and she knows this is coming, so I may post progress occasionally on here. This is just the starting outline I did today, about 3 hours of work:

"Portfolio Piece":

I am working on some ideas about how I want to include more negative space in my portraits, along with some other thoughts floating around in my head about what I want my portraits to look and feel like. I am going to start working on some more pieces of my own (this includes the twins portrait) starting this month. My friend is also going to pose for me next week, giving me the opportunity to start to put a few basic ideas to canvas. My goal is to work towards having portraits that are much more unique to my individual artistry. I would like to have a more consistant progressive body of work. I'm not expecting this portrait coming to be incredible, but an exciting a stepping stone in the right direction! Look forward to my work to come!