Portrait of my husband, WIP

[Laura Shelley]

This is 16x20, Wallis paper mounted on museum board. First I took the reference photo:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-dreference.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-progress01.jpg

Then I made the reeeally messy drawing! One thing about the tooth on Wallis paper--it holds onto that vine charcoal like nobody's business. I ended up emphasizing the corrected lines with sanguine Conte.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-progress01a.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-progress02.jpg

Then I went at it with watercolor. I've ordered some Createx pigments, which ought to work better. And there's the first layers of pastel. Moving right along...

[khourianya]

This is looking great so far! I can hardly wait to see the finished piece! very nice work!

[Laura Shelley]

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-progress03.jpghttp://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-progress04.jpg

Slathering on those pastels. I'm using Rembrandt, W&N, Unison, Grumbacher (Prismacolor) a little Schmincke and my handmades. I don't blend at all, by the way. The Wallis paper does it for me!

And the current state. I had to move that watch down his wrist--I forgot which was the correct line in all that messy charcoal. :) This is obviously going to get more work in many areas--but not until after Thanksgiving!

Thanks for looking! C&C is always welcome.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-Nov-2004/21887-progress05.jpg

[Kitty Wallis]

Terrific, Thanks for posting a WIP. It looks finished to me. I like that fresh, alive look.

[jackiesimmonds]

I agree with Kitty's comment.

For the future, tho, and for anyone else reading this...can suggest that you ask your sitter not to crunch up fingers? they tend, at first glance, to look chopped off at the knuckles. Hands look rather better, imho, when you can see the fingers properly.

good job on this. I bet he is delighted.

[emmachester]

Excellent work--thanks for sharing the process.

Sherry

[billiam]

beautifully done, right down to the shirt pattern. captured him in every way. bill

[Laura Shelley]

Thank you for your very kind comments, khourianya, Kitty, Jackie, Sherry, Bill! :)

Jackie, I definitely take your point about the scrunched fingers. That was the only thing that made me hesitate to use this particular shot. Other than that, it was by far the best one of the bunch, so the temptation was too powerful! I'm going to try to clarify the gesture somewhat; I can see areas that need strengthening.

Kitty, after letting this sit overnight, I think I see what you mean! Too much more work is probably not going to accomplish anything. I want to put a few strokes on the fingers, bring out that wedding ring just a tad and remove one or two distracting patches in the shirt. Then I'll frame it quick before I get tempted to touch anything else!

[K Taylor-Green]

Just fabulous! Love seeing how it came about.

[ExpressiveAngie]

:clap:
Just wonderful...you make it seem so easy ( and we all know its not) :clap: :clap:

[meowmeow]

Super portrait! Fresh, lively...wonderful colors and patterns here. And you got a good likeness. Good for you!
I enjoyed the progress pictures...very helpful.

Hands look rather better, imho, when you can see the fingers properly.

True....but then you would have to paint the fingers too! :D


Sandy

[Kathryn Wilson]

Thanks for sharing this WIP with us - very instructive to us who are portrait challenged - :D

Other than your few changes, I hope you feel this is finished. It looks fresh and not fussed with.

Until Jackie mentioned the knuckles, I did not even notice - :D

[Pinecone Conniff]

Geez!...I really love this portrait!...the lively strokes & great color!!...I agree about the closed fingers but I almost didn't notice...you captured him so well!
:clap:
Annette

[Khadres]

I really admire this! It definitely has the look of a freehand sketch rather than an overly gridded, stiff replication of a photo. One wonders if part of this is the fact that you know this particular model so well? :D He looks "real" and that's what it's all about.

[Laura Shelley]

Thank you for your comments, Kate Green, PastelMama, meowmeow, kyle, Annette, Khadres! Here's what it looked like last night after fifteen additional minutes of work.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Nov-2004/21887-final_corrected02.jpg

I had my husband (then my boyfriend) model for me way back when we were both in school, and I still have some twenty-year-old charcoal drawings and a couple of portraits in oils, but I hadn't gotten him to sit in years.

My in-laws were here for the holiday, and I got the seal of approval from his mother. :D Yes, I like painting portraits of my family or other people I'm familiar with, though I'm also doing commissions for strangers. There's no substitute for really knowing someone's face...though actually sitting down to draw something you see every day makes you look at it in a whole new light.

I've got a 16x20 wood frame that I refinished with an antiqued reddish gold, and I think this will look fine with spacers only, no mat.

[Dilettante Dave]

Just had to add my 2 cents. It's great that you added the development stages. Makes a great study for us dile's.