Saturday, April 4, 2009

Sisters and Friends

This pencil drawing (14 x 18) was great fun to do, as the girls were so sweet, friendly, and helpful. They commissioned the portrait, along with their dad, as a Christmas gift for their mother. I was impressed by this family, with their father's willingness to let his girls run with the project, and with their input and cooperation. It was truly a team effort. And their mother was thrilled with her surprise! Their father wrote:

"It was a pleasure to work with Valorie. The process was straightforward and I enjoyed watching our project develop. The final portrait is striking and so close to real it could be a picture of my daughters. It will hang in our house for many years. Thank You! "

100 Faces - Introduction

After painting many portraits, I've found I can achieve the likeness, attitude and personality of my subjects, given enough time. Now I want to be able to create them faster!
My art goal for 2012 is to paint one hundred faces - small, quick practice studies, either from photos or from life, in whatever amount of time I have. If I only have an hour on a particular day, the idea is to complete the portrait in an hour. No time for fussing over details. I want to use larger brushes and more paint. Rough studies can have their own charm. Since it's just practice, I may throw them away, paint over them, or go back later to finish them further.

Click on the pictures below to enlarge and see the brushwork.