Friday, May 25, 2012

Portrait of Ron


This was a great reference with strong light on the right, creating wonderful shadows.  This small oil painting study was finished in 2 painting sessions. Completed on 4/14/12.

Monday, May 14, 2012

"Bright Eyes" portrait painting

I painted this adorable little girl from a reference photo submitted by Stacey O'Donnell.  She was so much fun to paint, I just couldn't stop at a quick study and went back to give her a more refined finish.

Her skin tones were subtle and difficult because the light was straight on the front of her face, eliminating shadows.  To compensate, so that she would not look washed out, I accentuated the beautiful color in her cheeks.

8 x 10 portrait in oils completed 5-14-12.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

A Character Study

This one was really fun.

 I was drawn to his expression and character and captured him in about 5 hours. Portrait in oils completed on 3/18/12.

(Click on the photo to enlarge and see the wisdom in his eyes)

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.