Eyes - Details from some of my portrait work

I was in the mood to share some eyes...I don't know why.  I guess part of it is the fact that I really don't think the portrait is "done" unless the eyes are right.  The eyes are so important - a little too far apart, or a highlight in the wrong spot, and it can throw off the whole face.

Pastel Portrait of a Little Girl in the Garden - a WIP

I'm really excited about the progress I am making on my daughter's portrait in Nupastel.  I'm getting into the details, such as the flowers on her dress and the wisps of hair that frame her face.  One thing I do have to resolve is what she's holding in her had - in the photo she was holding a barbie, but all you could see was a bit of dress and one arm sticking out - kind of awkward looking, so I need to insert a new toy!

(I found a GORGEOUS custom frame at Hobby Lobby that is the exact size of the paper - 19" x 27" - marked down 75% off.  I took that as a sign that I needed to finish this portrait!)

New pastel portraits started, one from life, one from a photograph.

Over the past weekend I had two very different events and two different opportunities to start a pastel portrait.  Friday night, during the opening for Art of the Figure, we had a live model pose and I began a portrait in Nupastel on an olive green piece of Colourfix paper.  On Saturday, I participated in the Crabapple Festival in Milton, GA.  I used this opportunity, outside, a gorgeous sunny day, to set up my easel and start a portrait from a photograph of my little girl.  (This is not finished yet!)

I started out early in the day with just a few colors - some blues and fuscia - to define the large shapes. Then I started to add bits of warm and cool greens and pinks as well.

All during the festival visitors would stop and chat and we would discuss technique, what kind of photo to start from, how I chose my colors, etc.  I encourage people to select photos that are taken in natural light, that capture a casual moment rather than a forced smile.  When you are looking thru photos trying to decide what to turn into a portrait, look for the one that says to you "Now THAT is their personality!"

So what source of information is easier to work from - the live model or the photograph? One of the obvious benefits when dealing with a child's portrait is the photograph stays still.  However, when working from a live model, I tend to find a lot more color in and around the figure, as you can see here from Friday's live demonstration.

There is a lot of energy in the mark-making, and the layering of color is more "impulsive" rather than trying to match a photo.  However, since I did not get to finish that evening, I will resolve the features and finalize the piece from a photograph.

In the end, I think that portrait artists need a good balance of working from the live model and photographic references.  We can take the strengths of both an put them to use in our work.  If I end up with a reference photo that is a little monochromatic or too dark, I can remember the colors I find in the live model.

Opening Reception - The Art of the Figure - Photos!

I just want to thank all of the fabulous people who visited Ann Litrel Art on Friday night to see our show, The Art of the Figure.  There was a constant stream of people, and it was such a pleasure to chat with you about the work and share information about our drawing group and what we enjoy creating.

My neighbor sent me some great pictures so I'm going to share a few of those.  Someday when I actually download the photos from my camera I'll add those, too!  Most of these show myself and two fellow artists working from our wonderful live model.  That was a lot of fun for everyone...we were all working in very different styles, and viewers seemed to enjoy watching the process and seeing how different artists approached the same subject.

New figure drawings - the standing pose

Forgive the quickness of this post!  You know I'm only an artist when I don't have mom duty...and pretty soon I have to fetch the little one from school :)

So real quick!  Charcoal drawing on white paper, I think it's 12" 16", 30 minute pose.  Lovely lighting and beautiful model.

And the longer pose of the evening - about an hour and a half of drawing.  The challenge was to take a simple pose, the frontal, standing pose, and make it interesting.  There was a cool spotlight overhead and a warm spotlighting to her left, so I pushed those two temperatures and had fun with color.  Nupastel on Wallis paper.

And a detail of the face and torso...I blocked in the large shapes on the face and then tried to leave it alone...I was about 20 feet away from the model, so details would have been difficult at best.

I loved the pink fan that our model brought as a prop.  It created a lovely glow on her torso!

Inspiring Color Palette

Yesterday I was flipping thru an art magazine that had been lying around for a while and came across an image who's palette I found very fresh and exciting.  A landscape by Kathy Hirsh, created with watercolor and pastel on Wallis paper (as you may know...three of my favorite materials!)

So I tore out the photo and brought it with me to figure drawing group last night, armed with the same materials.  When the model settled into the long pose of the evening, I started with a drawing in red watercolor pencil, which I then washed out most of the way.  Then I started blocking in the shapes of the figure and the chair.

The palette is predominantly various shades of light greens, warm oranges, and small accents of cool blue and a little bit of purple.  I tried to think about the proportions of each color as I drew the figure.

At this point it was a little too red and green - red figure, green background.  And I kept playing with her profile!  I should have stuck a sticky note on it...I was also grabbing my lilac pastel and having too much fun applying it everywhere!  I PUT THE LILAC DOWN and moved on to the lime greens and peaches again.

At this stage everything is feeling a little better as far as working together - the background and figure have many layers of red, greens and peaches, not just one or the other.  I'm still not 100% happy with her profile, so I'll work on that some more. 

I liked working from this palette - I will probably try it again! 

Busy weekend in the studio!

I tried to get some work done in my studio over the weekend.  First on the list was framing my latest pastel, in the effort to keep it safe from the pile of drawings and paintings building up higher and higher!

Then I started working on this new drawing of the male nude.  I had prepared the surface a few days ago.  It was a plain wooden artist panel that I coated with two thin layers of modeling paste.

I started with a light grid on the panel and the reference photo so I could place the figure exactly where I wanted it, with the shadow tucked right into the bottom right corner.  Working with a black watercolor pencil, I blocked in the largest shapes and then washed most of it away, leaving the light impression of the figure and some nice atmosphere.

Slowly adding more light and shadow.  On this surface, I have two choices when it comes to lightening an area - erasing the charcoal or sanding away the modeling paste.  I'm getting very good at folding a piece of sandpaper just right in order to sand a tiny area.

Still a long way to go, but I am very pleased with it so far.  I have to practice this technique some more, especially preparing the surface.   Some areas allow the charcoal to get dark and rich, while other spots fight it.  But there are so many great serendipitous moments as well, where the texture of the modeling paste enhances the drawing.

The Perfect Anniversary Gift. A Beautiful, Sexy Boudoir Portrait.

Let me tell you...I am surrounded by beautiful women in my life.  And I am not implying that I know a bunch of skinny supermodels.  I'm saying that I have the most generous, warm spirited, kind, funny, intelligent, loving and supportive women around me.  From my Bunco Babes to my Zumba Crew, to those I haven't even met but support me on-line thru kind e-mails and blog comments, to collectors of my Art, I am surrounded by beautiful women.

I believe that every woman should have the experience of feeling Beautiful and Sexy.  I love when I get to work with someone new for a live modeling session.  My goal is to make them feel comfortable in their own skin, to embrace their curves and their innate sensuality.  Every woman I have worked with has said "Everyone should do this at least once!"

Just this week I drew a good friend who wanted a Boudoir Portrait for her husband.  They are celebrating their 22nd Wedding Anniversary (yay! congrats!) and thought this would be a great gift.  We got together and discussed her ideas, poses, colors, where the drawing was going to hang, etc.  After deciding on a paper and settling into a comfortable pose, we got to work!

This pastel drawing is on a dark brown piece of Colorfix paper.  The dark brown was an interesting choice - it didn't say "feminine" at first, but when I layered the turquoise and warm oranges, purples and greens, it all worked beautifully on that color.  The moment feels intimate and warm.

Listening to music and chatting about our families, our session lasted about an hour and a half.  Other than a few minor adjustments I made afterwards, the drawing was complete!  And I was so honored that my friend trusted me with this beautiful gift, and that we got to share that time together.  And I thank her, too, for giving me permission to share her beauty with you!

Pastel Portrait Video

I think I am done with the pastel portrait of the model with the olive head wrap!  I put together a little video of the piece from beginning to end on youtube if you would like to see the drawing layer by layer.

My Toughest Art Critic

My kids are in the studio with me all the time.  Usually they are so preoccupied with digging out their paints and pencils that they hardly notice what I'm working on, but the other day Arianna made me laugh when she picked up my reference photo and stood in front of my pastel portrait on my easel.

So I said "Well, Ari...what do you think?"

And she replied..."It almost matches".

I guess I'd better keep working!

I realize now (maybe Ari saw something I didn't?) that one eye is a little higher than the other.  Some adjustment is needed!  But I do like the colors, the head wrap, everything else so far.  I am debating on if I should add the elaborate tattoo that is on her left shoulder...I don't want to detract from her beautiful face. 

Pastel Portrait and the girl with the Butterfly Tattoos - Works in Progress

Sometimes there are pieces waiting for me in the studio, unfinished, unloved, needing me to resolve their needs.  It may take several months, or even longer, to not only find the time to finish, but to know WHAT I want to do!  This painting of the Girl with the Butterfly Tattoos is one of those pieces!

A few months back, and I am a little embarrassed to admit this, I grabbed some black paint and layered over the painting.  Too aggressive.  Too dark.  And I wasn't in the right "place" - rushed and un-focused.  I don't even think I have a picture of it in that stage...it was so bad!  I was so worried that I couldn't rescue the piece.

Well it still isn't 100% finished, but at least I have gotten it on it's way.  I layered some transparent modeling medium over the black paint, then glazed with thin gesso, and started re-working the lines and butterflies with black conte.  The repeated triangle shapes in her shoulder and hair are still a little harsh - I have to work on that corner some more.  It feels like a well-worm sculpture right now, one that has been exposed to dirt and rain, like she has some history, and a bit of sadness.  I'd like to add in a little hope, too.

Other times...there are pieces I can't WAIT to get started on and after thinking about them for a few days, dying to get into the studio...they pour out of me in a rush!  I took a few amazing photos of our figure model last week and decided to start a new pastel portrait today.

I knew that I wanted to capture that gorgeous wrap on her head, and the fabulous organic shape that the tie made to the side.  I am inventing the cooler light on her right side.  The light was there for the first 10 minutes of our drawing session - we started just before the sun fully set, so there was warm light from the spot, and cool light from the window.

Unfortunatly I took the reference photo after the cool light was completely gone.  I hope I am capturing that sense of two different light sources of very different temperature.  I worked for about an hour on this today, and I am very pleased with the start.  Let's hope a good beginning also means a good ending!

I will keep you updated as I finish these pieces :)

My latest pastel portrait commission - step by step video

I realy enjoy putting these videos together.  I've gotten in the habit of taking pictures every time I add a new color or layer to a portrait drawing.  It's exciting to see a blank piece of paper transform into a beautiful drawing!

You can see more of my Pastel Portrait Videos on youtube and more samples of my Custom Portrait work in my Fine Art on Etsy shop.

American Art Collector August 2010 Portrait Artists Directory

I am thrilled to be included in this years' Portrait Artist Directory in the August 2010 issue of
American Art Collector Magazine.  This represented a unique opportunity to participte in a special section devoted to promoting portrait artists accross the country.

I chose to present my Pastel Portraits and included one of my most recent, "Reflections of Zen"

I chose this piece because it really reflects where my work is at this moment.  I am immersed in Nupastel...I am enamored of their palette and flexibility and I love working on Colorfix paper, which allows a lot of layers and interest in the piece.  You can see how I layer colors in this pastel portrait video.

Also, I think this portrait shows that you can take a photo, often a moment in-between staged poses, and turn it into something beautiful.  Intensify the colors.  Capture a fleeting glance.  Show an inner glow.  I love creating portraits where you can look at them again and again, finding new moments each time you look a them.

If you have questions about my work, or are interested in having a custom portrait created, please contact me at 81artist(at)comcast.net.

You can also connect with me on Facebook!

Walking with grandpa. New pastel portrait.

There was no break from the studio over the 4th of July Holiday weekend.  Well, maybe a little break for boating and fireworks, and of course, food, but I did start on a new portrait commission!

Where it began...

I'm working with Nupastel on a brick-red piece of Colorfix paper, approx. 19" x 26".  I thought the deep red color of the paper would really make all of the turquoise in the little girl's dresses and grandpa's shirt "pop". 

I will create a step-by-step video when I am finished with the portrait, but until then, here is where I am right now.  I'm trying to develop the whole surface at once, making sure the values in the sky, greenery, and figures are all relating correctly to each other.

I love how the curve of the walkway and the fencing lead you into the space.  I think khaki pants are one of my favorite pieces of clothing to create in pastel...every color I pick up, I find a spot of it in grandpa's legs! 

When picking out a photo to work from with my client, we looked thru a bunch of options that might be considered more typical portrait photos of the girls and their grandpa.  But when we talked about this photo, my client couldn't help but get excited, talking about how she is always taking photos of her kids walking together.  Hearing her talk about it helped me encourage her to select this precious moment for a drawing. 

You can view more of my Custom Portraits in my Fine Art on Etsy shop.

Pastel Portrait from a photo. I love the colors!

I've finished Jack's portrait with the umbrella. Of course I use the term "finished" loosely, because I've been known to go back and change things!

You can watch a step-by-step progression of this pastel portrait on Youtube.

Because I've done a couple of these colorful pastel portraits back-to-back, it's really helping me see what I need to do as far as layering the colors.  I'm learning which Nupastels are denser, and therefor tend to gouge previous layers instead of lay on top.  These tend to be the darkest darks and lightest lights, so I save those until the end.  I love seeing which colors work together to create interesting color combinations in the shadows. 

I've just ordered some fresh new colors of Nupastel and colorfix paper...can't wait to get started on the next portrait!

If you are interested in a Custom Portrait, please visit my Fine Art on Etsy Shop.

New Pastel Portrait from a Photo. Drawing my son!

I've been wanting to do some pastel portraits of my two children for a while now.  (Just in case you think the drawing part is hard...you should try to get a decent picture of a 5 year old who likes to growl every time the camera shows up :)  

After (seriously) hundreds of photos, I finally captured a great moment - outside, in the late day sun, so colors were not too washed out.  He was holding an umbrella, which also diffused the light.  He had on a great color shirt, and he had some terrific rosy cheeks from running around with his little sister.  He also gave me a great picture smile.  No teeth, a gentle smile that didn't squint his eyes.

So I printed out the photo and got started yesterday!  It's not finished yet, but I like showing work in progress.  You can see I haven't even been able to escape to my studio lately...with hubby out of town, Jack and I were working together at the kitchen table!

This is a half sheet of the large aubergine colorfix paper and Nupastel. 

I'm trying to take good photos as I work (in consistent lighting) so I can put another "how I built this pastel portrait" video toghether!   I'll let you know when it's all done.

A Colorful Pastel Portrait. How I built up layers of color.

I am working on a Pastel portrait on a large piece of Aubergine colorfix paper.

This a very amateur slide show of how I got to this point...but ignore the fact that each photo was taken in a different light setting and you'll be ok :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L-ZIedNAso

Thanks!

Pastel Drawing of an Elegant Nude Model...with LOTS of teal!

Last night our figure drawing group met in our usual lovely studio in Downtown Woodstock and set up a lounging pose for our very popular model....we were her third group of the day!  She brought this yummy shiny teal fabric that created beautiful reflective light on her figure and some wonderful hilights and shadows.

I wish I had my camera so that I could show you pictures of my pastel drawing in progress...we worked for over two hour on this pose, and I utilized ever second.  But I had a pretty serious issue develop as we approached our final drawing time - I had yet to establish a clear "point of focus" in my drawing, and althought it had a nice "feeling" overall, it was just one of those "well.  That's...nice" kind of things. 

I started to focus on the atmosphere, toning down the pillow on the left which was a lot brighter at first - competing with the figure in size and value.  While that helped a little, it still didn't help the viewer find a focal point.

So right now, it is in limbo...do I define one spot further, or soften elsewhere? Do I darken the pillow more, or remove it completely? I am open to suggestions!

By the way...this is pastel on Wallis paper, 12" x 18".

Pastel Portrait Drawing from the Live Nude Figure - the Red Scarf

It was a bitter-sweet evening of drawing from the live model on Wednesday. Wonderful drawing from the lovely Miss I, and we got to celebrate Shane's birthday early with the best ever chocolate cake, but it was also our last drawing session of the summer. The GA heat really permeates the studio! Hopefully summer will go quickly :)

Since I had done two drawings of the full figure last week, I decided to focus on a portrait of her face, because, well, she's gorgeous! I worked with Nupastels on a purple piece of COlorfix paper. I started with a lot of dramatic color - fuscias, bright blues and turquoise, intense orange, and slowly added peaches and creams and whites and olives.

I loved the red scarf, the drop earring, the shape of the shadow on her shoulder. It was nice to work on one section, the face and neck, for the full session. I felt that I was really seeing a lot of information. Can't wait for summer to be over!