Newest Portrait

This is my most recent portrait drawing. I had drawn this client's cats a couple of years ago before she had any children. I was so excited when she called again to ask me to draw her little cutie! He is drawn using graphite pencil on Strathmore bright white paper.

Drawing Progress-Sweet Little Girls - #2

Okay, so far I have nearly completed Sister #1. She is a beautiful little girl and bringing her face to life using my Derwent Colour Soft (Brown Earth) pencil was a blast. I cannot wait to finish drawing her and completing the other two. As you may be able to see in the above picture I have drawn in the shadows and details that make a subject become more realistic. She pops out of the portrait!

I have a little tip, (for anyone who doesn't already know it)...when you are drawing, one of the best ways to see if there are any areas that need improvement in your drawing is to take a picture of it and look at it on your computer screen. I have no idea why it's so easy to see little areas to tweak, but it is. So looking at this picture of Sister #1 is driving me nuts! I didn't see those things before, but now I see what needs to be tweaked!

I have also started on Sister #2's hair. Hair can be very difficult and takes a lot of patience...especially if it is dark hair. (Layering color is the key). I still have plenty to do on her hair and then it is to the shadows of her face (my favorite).

Stay tuned!

A Little Portrait Progression - No. 3

I am about 90% done with this portrait. It looks 100% done, but there are small things that need to be tweeked.

I like to step away from the drawing for a day or so at this point. Then I look at it upside down, sideways, as a picture on my computer screen, etc. It is good to look at angles that I haven't looked at before. When drawing it sometimes I don't see everything so clearly because I've been staring at it so long. When I step away for a time and then look again I see things I missed.

When I feel I'm 100% done I'll post the finished work! Thanks for looking!!!

A Little Portrait Progression - No. 2

Here is the next progression of the little baby portrait. As you see I have added some shading to his face, (still working from the left), and added more sketching to his clothes. I have filled in his eyes and I am happy with his right eye (the one on the left of the portrait). But I am still tweeking and working on his other eye.

When I finish that I will continue to work to the right and down...so his nose and left cheek will be next and then his mouth and shading on his chin. When I'm completely happy with his face I will start working on Elmo and then the baby's clothes.

I hope you are enjoying watching this cute little portrait come to life! Check back soon for more!!!

A Little Portrait Progression

Good Friday all! I am working on a small charcoal drawing to place on a cigar box purse. It's a really cute baby ...along with a friend. I thought I'd show a progression of the drawing and the cigar box purse.

This is "day one"...I've laid out the most of the drawing in a preliminary sketch and have nearly finished the hat. When working with charcoal I always work from the top-left and work my way down and right...because it is so easily smudged.

I enjoy this part...watching it start to come together and come to life! I still have plenty of tweeking to do to his face...especially his mouth, which I am not quite happy with. I want it to represent faithfully the sweetness of his little smile...with just a hint of nervousness - which is so precious.

Here is the start:










Here is the reference photo:






Don't forget to "follow" this blog to watch the progression of this drawing and other drawings to come!!!