Beauty in the Eyes

Christmas is upon us and it has been a busy time at the market studio. I have completed several commissions for gifts and have had a little time to think about the direction I want to follow as an artist in 2013.
I will be expanding my studio space in January, the opportunity to take over the whole space that has currently been shared is too good to miss, so stay tuned for more news on that:)
March will bring the World Figure Skating Championships to the city where I live and I am excited for the opportunity for exposure,  there will be people here from all over the world. My studio space, located in a market area, is directly across the road from the complex where this event is to be held and  there is a constant flow of foot traffic through it.

In November I completed a rather large portrait (16 x 20) that I think really showcases the use of lights and darks in pencil work. The image of this elderly gentleman really caught hold of my emotions when I saw it,  and I knew I had to capture him with pencil. I took pictures along the way so that the viewer can see the steps to completion. In this portrait I also made use of a powdered graphite, a new product for me. With the use of a fixative on it as well, one can layer it on to produce wonderful darks, something I have struggled with in the past.

I like to start with the eyes on a portrait; it just is weird to have a face with no eyes:) After outlining a basic sketch of the eye area, I have used just 3b and 5b pencils and an eraser, along with a small blending stomp to create the iris and the shadows and highlights in the eye lid and white of the eye. This old fellow has deeply textured skin and I used my pencils and putty eraser copiously through the whole portrait to create the life lines on his face.

(clicking on a picture will bring all these views into one lightbox format for closer viewing)

Here you see the second eye added and the beginning of the hand rested against the side of the face.

Dark hairs ( the eyebrows, here) are applied using a sharp dark pencil and fine white hair is done with a stick eraser applied over previously laid down graphite. Working time to this point is about 12 hours.

Hands are a challenge, especially with the amount of detail that age brings on and these are no exception! Again copious use of an eraser creates the definition in the lines and folds of the hand, adding highlights and shadows. About 20 hours.

The beginnings of the beard shown here; laying down a layer of graphite in the shadow areas of the beard and then erasing out the fine white hairs and adding in the darker hairs with a sharp, dark pencil will create the look of a thick white beard.

Nearing completion at about 30 hours, I used the powdered graphite to produce the dark background. In the past I have used my 6b and 8b pencils to do this but always end up with a smudgy look. The powder goes on with a brush and if you put on a layer and then spray it with workable fixative, you can go back and add another layer of graphite. I will definitely use this product again:) I've also started on his knitted cap; I will apply the powdered graphite for this too, and use an eraser to lift out the highlights in the ribbing of the cap.

Here is the finished portrait; total time 36 hours.

The reference I used for this is a free stock photo from morguefile.com

Its been a busy summer....

Where has the summer gone? I realize that I have not posted since June...have been a bit busy I think:)  Several of my immediate family members moved this summer, one starting university out of town, another a new teaching job (Yay!) in another city,  senior parents moving into a retirement home and one grown child coming home to roost temporarily has occupied me with helping to pack, unpack and physically move multiple possessions.

My days at the new studio have been opportunistic and I have met and chatted with many summer visitors to the market. The opportunity came along to move into a larger unit at the end of August and I have enjoyed having a bit more space to work in.

I have worked on a few pieces over the summer...several entries destined for the fall fair in our town. I was given the use of a wonderful photo of a cheetah taken by a photographer friend, Paul, and thought it would make a great  subject for a black and white drawing.

Here is my finished piece, a fun challenge with a lot of detail in wood and fur;

     "Afternoon Nap" graphite on bristol 18 x 22

As the Fair entry requirements allow 3 entries I also entered "Pretty Lady in a Hat";  I loved working on those sunglasses:) and "Angelic" - my impression of my 2 yr old grandson, Liam.

"Pretty Lady in a Hat" graphite on bristol 16 x 20

 'Angelic' graphite on bristol 9 x 9

I also found the time to do a pair of draught horses; what a great time I had getting all the tack detail sorted out...there were times that I didn't even know what I was drawing...a great exercise for the right brain in only drawing what you see!

     "In Tandem" graphite on bristol 11 x 14

Oh and btw, I came home with first prize from the Western Fair for "Angelic" :)

Emma; 'Good morning!'

I have recently been enjoying my new 'studio' space at the downtown London Covent Garden market...it has been great to be in that bright happy environment; I even was able to sit outside and draw last saturday amongst the other saturday vendors. One of the pieces I worked on this week is this one of a friend of my son's...a lovely young lady with wonderful expression. Hope you enjoy it!

Stars!

I've gone on a bit of a movie star kick...so for those of you who love the old stars, here are Marilyn Munroe, James Dean and Audrey Hepburn.

Colleen

 Today I thought I would show you how a drawing progresses. First the initial sketch layout is pencilled in. I like to work on the eyes first. Some artists start at one corner and work to completion each portion of the drawing as they move across the paper. I like to get the whole face on the page and then go back and 'fine tune' it. I almost always do the eyes first as, to be honest, it 'creeps me out' to have a face with no eyes:)






Here the face is 'roughed in' with basic shading. I will do the hair last as
 it must frame the finished face.

The basic face is complete, with some fine tuning still to be done, and I start on the hair.

Peripheral body parts and clothing come next...









I go back over the portrait and touch up where needed...and here is the finished portrait of "Colleen" - about 15 hours

My Dad...at 21

I spent the better part of my day at Trails End Market last Saturday working
on a portrait of my dad from a photo taken about 1956. The small snap shot
is the one my mother carried with her the whole 2 years he spent in N. Africa 'dong his bit'
 for Britain. I really enjoy doing portraits from old photos; there is something
 rewarding about making those little tiny, sometimes damaged pictures into
a larger, clearer portrait.

( I've attached a copy of the reference photo here for, well, for reference :)

a little colour for a change:)

This is graphite on white paper...the fur effect is done by applying the graphite to the paper in large sections and then erasing the graphite off, leaving white fur  effect behind. I used a little coloured pencil on the eyes,..this kitty had such lovely violet eyes it was a shame to only do them in black and white. I really enjoyed this 'reverse drawing' and adding just a touch of colour. It's about 10 x 7in.

Not Everything Goes Smoothly...:)

Already March!:) We here in southern Ontario practically count the days to spring, and sunny warm weather, even when the winter is as mild as this one has been! I have been in my studio drawing up a storm..... it is a great place to spend dull dreary February days.

I had in mind to do something for my husband, Ted who has been in the trucking business for over 30 years and has a passion for anything large on multiple wheels. I dug up a photo of one of his favourite trucks, a 2003 Peterbuilt sleeper cab and thought I would do a "technical" sketch for him to hang in his office. I was going along quite well and was pleased with the effort,  when I did an artists' no - no!  : never leave drawing work on the easel while messing about with paints.  I had taken a break from the eye-straining detail of the drawing to dabble a bit in watercolour and - alas - splashed blue watercolour paint on the drawing which I had left on my easel behind a "protective" (ha) paper. The paint had landed right on a highlight area.....couldn't have been on a black wheel well area.....ah no.....

Needless to say, I was a tad disappointed. At that point I was about 12 hours into the drawing. Now, for anyone who is not familiar with drawing paper you need to know it absorbs anything liquid you put on it, unlike paint papers where the paint sits on the surface. Not knowing what to do - how does one get paint pigment out of a graphite drawing? - I put it aside, seriously considering trashing it.

The next day, I posted it to my online artist group and asked for suggestions on how to repair it. The responses were very helpful and encouraging although no one had ever actually dealt with this specific issue, but, inspired, I decided to employ coloured pencil - white, grey and silver to try to cover up the blue.

Check out the finished picture! I am pleased with the repair and Ted is pleased with his drawing....just shows a little perseverance pays off!

A Little Flirtin' Goin' On Here

February brought Valentines day and a commission as a gift for a young man's wife. The portrait was done from a candid photo taken on Christmas day.

How fast these winter days fly by! We have had an unseasonably warm winter here in Southern Ontario with very little snow and spring seems just around the corner.  I have been spending Saturdays at a local market promoting my craft and am encouraged by the response from all who drop by my booth :)

Baby Sister

For the last year I have belonged to an interactive website for all kinds of traditional artists. It has been very encouraging both to see and to comment on others' art and to have some input on my own efforts. One of the activities is a 'Challenge'. The artist uploads a photo of something they would like to challenge other artists to reproduce in the medium (and sometimes the manner) of their choice. This portrait of an artists' sister (obviously taken some years ago:) caught my interest and I have worked to maintain the original feeling of the old photo.
It's finished size is about 9 x 12.

Happy New Year to all!

What's a new year without a new baby portrait to add to my churches 'Nursery Wall' ? This is my first portrait for 2012 and he has stolen my heart.