Enjoy life now... it has an expiration date.



Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Gracie: WIP #3


A quick update on Gracie. I did a little more shading and experimenting with solvent and liked the results. I like the painterly look you get when the solvent dissolves the pigment and you don't see the pencil strokes any more. This was not the first time I've tried solvent, but I've been busy trying new techniques and hadn't used it lately.

I'm trying to do something with this portrait that I'm not good at: Get it done right the first time and don't redo it. Easier said than done! I tend to fuss over details too much. This time, instead of jumping right in to do the face, I spent some time really studying Gracie's features. I noted things like the angles on her mouth, the way her facial shadows start and end gradually, the fact that one eye looks slightly larger than the other (due to the slight turn of the head) and made a note to resist the impulse to make the eyes exactly alike. In other words, I'm trying to capture what it is that makes Gracie Gracie. What does Gracie's expression say and how do I translate that into paint (pencil)? When I felt comfortable, I drew the features. I'm going to let it sit a little and see where adjustments are needed. Then, onto the color!

WIP #2 and Why I've Been AWOL...


Posting another WIP of Gracie wearing her first Halloween costume. Really should have taken more photos as I was going along, but got carried away playing with color and here we are!

About being AWOL: In a nutshell, health problems and unpleasant side effects from medication to resolve the health problems (what's the old adage about the cure being worse than the ailment? Bingo!). It's nothing life threatening, but does interfere with daily activities from time to time.

I'll be trying to catch up on my blog reading for the next few days. Because I live in a very rural area, high speed internet is not available (except for a couple of satellite providers whose set up and monthly fees are ridiculous) so I'm still on dial up (I hear and appreciate your groans of sympathy), so please be patient with me 'cos it takes forever for pages to load on turtle speed dial up. If I haven't visited your blog lately, know that I've missed reading your posts and I'm getting there as fast as I can! :-)
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