way down here...and a baby

[djstar]

Just wanted to post here, because I always forget there is a forum down here, it is low on my scroll and I need to be here more often.
Anyway, I dove right in and did this long overdue pic of my Mom's new husband's Grandbaby.....ah geneology!
dj*
<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Critiques/lib/30-Jan-2001/Newneice.jpg" border=0>

[bruin70]

very nice,,,it is your most finished piece yet....{M}

------------------
"it's alright to be judgmental,,,,,,,,if you have taste"...MILT

[LarrySeiler]

DJ..very nice work! Great handling of line, nice flow to it.


Larry

------------------
"Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do!" Edgar Degas

[Suz]

Hi dj, this is very good, and I have seen you do better. I think you did this from a photo and it is less lively than the portraits you do from live models. Love your work.

[djstar]

Yes, and alas, those babes are so hard to tie down.
I really labor on photos. I can't see the light like in life.
I used a very limited pallet, like four pinks a mauved brown, dark blue under the black in the eyes and a pressed charcoal black and white.
After I posted this, I stuck in flat gray to pop up the white in the outfit....A LITTLE and took down the contrast of the black outlining the face.

I like to just paint skin. I am trying to make it my style... well, I have to try something, but the white sort of glopped and the itsy shadows made it a little deeper, but still part of the paper.

I made a handful of cards on my PrintMaster Gold program, and popped this photo with my name and price and medium above a phone number.
I have them with me at work hoping all the grandmother's in Scottsdale will send the baby snaps along to me.

I had a client ask for a donation to a silent aution so I will print a small presentation and see what sort of bidding I can get for a picture from photo.

So that is the update so far.
dj*

[Suz]

Originally posted by djstar:
Yes, and alas, those babes are so hard to tie down.
..
I made a handful of cards on my PrintMaster Gold program, and popped this photo with my name and price and medium above a phone number.


Hi dj,
I think you could make good money teaching portraiture. You have an awesome gift, and you can express yourself well. You could teach drawing from life models. The price for a portrait workshop is abou 350$ (for a week). If you have ten student you can do well.
Often students become customers and your work gets plenty of exposure.

I think you can do better than painting babies from photos. It's good practice though.

[Suz]

One more thing, you could also team up with a portrait photographer. Often people who have their photo taken also would like to have a portrait done. A photographer needs an artist to do touch up work.

[digistyle]

Really great work! I've come back and looked at this a number of times. No crits, just applause.

digistyle

[tammy]

I too, think its gorgeous.

------------------
Don't worry, its gonna be all right....
Tammy's Home for Artists (http://tammy.artistnation.com)

[Leopoldo1]

Beautiful work! http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[djstar]

Thanks for your suggestions. They are thought provoking and not taken lightly.
I am mulling over the idea of teaching. I do not have the space...it is a real problem so I would have to find a place, but the idea of an adult ed. area, like our parks and rec. might be fun.
If I started as a volunteer, like you said: I may find clients.
The grandparents are expecting her cousin in about a month and I will be working on a matching set, probably the two older siblings as well and, although they are insiders, I am going to make them display for me.
What I am wondering about and would like tips on, is the material for the charity donation.
My instinct and the old ad art days make me lean toward a few countercards with repros of my faces as a display, a stack of cards but what should a brochure look like? And layout ideas, how many should I run off and has anyone had success with such stuff? Or post cards? Anyone else have a great idea of how to the get most from a display at a silent auction. (YES I believe in the cause and it is much less painful than donating a PEDICURE!! UG)
dj*
PS, the folks are doing back flips over her. My mom is STILL writing the perfect letter to the new mom about how to frame it...
dj*

[glorius]

I actually like the color in the drawing better than the photo. A little bolder. I like that you are not afraid of the lines, instead of smudging them into uninteligible oblivion like some people think should be. You let all the strokes lie and I think that is beautifully brave.

------------------
I just draw what I see
GloriusDae