Gerber Baby

[TMoore]

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I just registered a few minutes ago and I am diving right in with a try at the image uploader. Hello everyone. So nice to be participating and not just watching! This is a pencil - not really the Gerber Baby but everyone always seems to bring the little guy up when they see this piece. Hope you all like it.

[Heather Gould-Hawke]

What a wonderful drawing.I love the eyes.


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The plate is my canvas

[wendee]

AAAWWWWWWWW Just so wonderful...GREAT EVEN...OH bye the way welcome to wetcanvas ..it took me over 6 months before i was game enough to post anything...LOL... http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

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http://www.angelfire.com/art/wendee

[sandge]

Hi TMoore! Welcome to WetCanvas.

This is a wonderful portrait - not only accurately drawn but you have captured a lovely expression. What was your source material for this subject?

Um, what is a Gerber baby?

best wishes http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
sandra



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http://www.fletcherfineart.com

[TMoore]

I guess you have to be USA for a while to get the Gerber Baby connection. Gerber is a baby food and their trademark has always been a cute doe-eyed infant.

As far as reference material goes, I guess this portrait needs some background information. I did this little fellow back in 1991 when the very first stirrings of wanting to do portraiture began. I read somewhere in my research about it that to do well as a commercial portraitist you had to know how to flatter your subject while still getting an accurate likeness. This was my 'test of my metal' in regards to that. I just picked a photo from a magazine that had an 'average' baby face and I thought and thought about what makes a baby 'magnetic' to look at. I guess if I had felt that this experiment failed I might not be a portrait artist today. I wish I had kept the reference picture now, it would be fun to compare after so many years.

[sandge]

Thanks for the information. That's really interesting. Do you have a website? I'd love to see more of your work.

best wishes
sandra

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http://www.fletcherfineart.com

[TMoore]

Sandra - I wish I did have a www site. I have only had the internet for a month or two. I am still getting the feel of how it works. My 'ears' perk up anytime I find an artist on-line that talks about how useless or how useful their site has been for them. Seems that more are inclined toward not than positive. Tempting anyway though!! Since I just joined Wet Canvas yesterday there aren't many examples of my work here. I do have a pencil in the critique section. Look for the "Father and Son (pencil)" thread. If you are still very curious - no offence taken if your not, e-mail me a request and I can send a few via e-mail to you. I sure wouldn't want to fill up this thread inappropriately and bore everyone. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
Tammy

[sandge]

I'd love to see more of you work! I don't want to be selfish tho' so please post more in this forum.

I think I can safely say that you will not be boring anyone by posting more. And I'm sure we can all learn a lot from your informed comments.

Before you know it, I'll be pestering you for a portrait lesson for our channel! http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/wink.gif

best wishes
sandra

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http://www.fletcherfineart.com

[TMoore]

Wow. I am honored. I will post two more. This is a watercolor - if you couldn't already tell. The though processes involved with this one that might be of use to others are:
Carly's dress had very busy sleeves - they were plaid. I knew this little girl well. Her personality fit better with a subdued handling. She was, probably still is, a very shy little girl, yet always ready with this same sweet smile you see here. So.. I just eleiminated the sleeves. Cookie monster was a special friend so I tried to give him a special co-focus because it spoke so much of who she was at this time in her life. Hope this inspires someone out there to not take your reference photo too literally when doing a portrait.
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[TMoore]

Here is the second one. I can't take any deep bows for the composition in this one. It was commissioned shortly after we moved to Arkansas and that meant leaving my client base 780 miles behind. I just didn't have the means to travel at that time so this client hired a photographer, who happened to be a past client of mine, to provide the reference photo. An interesting composition was already provided for me. I wish I could say that I am as busy out here as I was in SC but the economy and culture here is very different. Few even have studio photos of their children - art comes from Wal-Mart. I guess I didn't know how lucky I had it. Ooops, I am beginning to ramble. Sorry. This piece was painted using only three tube colors which were applied in separate glazes. (See the thread in the watercolor Forum called "Curious Technique?") Other than this I can't think of anything useful to say?
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[This message has been edited by TMoore (edited May 22, 2001).]

[oleCC]

Hi ya Tammy ! So glad you made it in here finally...
I would love for you to put the watercolors in the watercolor forum too ok? Beautiful work here - http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
Carol

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http://www.artistnation.com/members/lofts/olecc

[TMoore]

Anyone game for a thread about creative solutions for a rural economy/culture art sales as talked about above? There are bound to be other artists who have the same market issues. What forum should it go under?

[Ohju]

T....You do wonderful work. I love your style and the colors. Quite close to Darrell D., who is in the drawing forum.
I will never be this good. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif
~Ju

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Art washes from the Soul, the dust of everyday life. ~Picasso

[TMoore]

My curiosity couldn't resist. I tried to find Darrel D but got no results in a search until I tried looking for some variations on the name ... I bet it's dduchene. I found one of his posts from April 30,2001 (eat fruit, stay young?). He's great. For any other newbie like me, his profile listed his web page as - http://www.cgi-assoc.com/duchene . Give it a try.

What a treasure trove is available not only currently but resting quietly in the extensive archives. I am inspired to do a little 'archeology' in there. Thanks everyone!

Tammy

[Sister Mary]

Tammy, I really like your portraits. What 3 colors did you use for the woman in the black dress?
Mary

[alva]

I like all of these very much http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[TMoore]

Thanks everyone.
Mary: The photo doesn't show it very well but the dress is a rich deep blue velvet. The three colors that I always use in all the pieces are Windsor Blue, Winsor Yellow (I love this intense yellow), and Winsor Newton Permanent Alizarin Crimson. They are all high staining colors without sediment like the crimson reds have. By glazing layers of the Alizarin and the blue you can get an incredible dark that is as dark as any black. A few words of caution when using these colors and this technique. The blue is intense. I always put a bit less of it than I think I need - otherwise it takes over - especially in the flesh tones. I recommend getting the yellow glazes in solidly at the beginning with additional layers as you go. Just leave pink and blue areas yellow-free until needed adjustments at the end. If you want to meet the big challenge with this technique - work at browns. They are the true test to see if you have this technique down pat. Rich Burnt Sienna-like colors are the trickiest. If you can master them you can master anything. LOL

I know Carol, "Tammy! Post this in watercolor." Is there a way to do this without having to retype everything?

Tammy

[This message has been edited by TMoore (edited May 22, 2001).]

[TMoore]

Sad http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/frown.gif
I am behind a firewall and can't chat in Cafe' Guerbois. Sob.

Tammy

[sandge]

Originally posted by TMoore:
Anyone game for a thread about creative solutions for a rural economy/culture art sales as talked about above? There are bound to be other artists who have the same market issues. What forum should it go under?

Great idea! I would suggest posting this to the art business forum which gets an wider audience interested in marketing their art. Why not start things off with a brief outline of you experience?

See you there http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif
sandra


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http://www.fletcherfineart.com

[Leaflin]

Beautiful work Tammy. I really enjoyed this thread.

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Leaflin

"Imagination makes you see all sorts of things." Georgia O'Keeffe