Commission Part 3

First of all, I feel the need to apologize to anyone who has looked at my blog within the past few months.  I've been trying to organize and separate my personal and artist accounts.  I have been using my personal gmail to write this blog.  I thought it would make more sense if I was using my artist gmail account. So, I moved all of my images from one account to the other.  I had no idea that if I deleted the images from my google account that it would delete them from the blog as well.  So, instead of writing new posts, I've been going back to the blogs, reading them and finding the images that I once had.  I am nowhere close to being done :(

But I am still making art!  I recently finished my largest commission.  It was another portrait commission.  This time there were 18 people in it.  Because the painting was a surprise, my friend had to give me photos of everyone in small groups.  I took all of the photos into Photoshop and did some editing so I could arrange them in a good composition.

Once we agreed on an arrangement that my friend liked the best, I began working on the outline.

I used Derwent Inktense Pencils for this artwork.  I love the vibrancy of the colors.  I especially love that is dries like an ink, so I am able to work in multiple layers without worrying about lifting previous layers.  With 18 people there were a variety of skin tones to match.  I began playing with various colors creating a skin tone chart.

Beginning skin tones always terrifies me.  I think it is because it doesn't look anything like the person at first and it takes a few layers for the face to begin to resemble the person.

 Each face took me around 2 hours to complete and they were about 2 inches in size.

There were a few faces that I had trouble with.  I had to "erase" them and start all over.  Mr. Clean magic erasers are amazing and are not just good for cleaning around the house.  They are great at removing the intense color.  It won't remove all of it and depending on the color you first used determines what staining may occur.  You can see the color stain left on the 2 faces in the middle.

But in the end the painting turned out wonderful.

It was an intense commission, but I enjoyed working on it.  I liked the challenges that were presented along the way.  I like drawing and painting portraits.  There is a fear (a good kind) that comes with it.  Will it look like the person?  Or will it be a disaster?  I like that it is such a different style from my Mizzles.  It helps my skills stay fresh and prevents me from becoming board with my work.

Commission Part 2

2015 so far has been the year of the portrait commissions. It actually began last November, but it seems to continue its theme.  I was asked to do a second portrait painting for my workout partner's mother.  He loved the painting I did for his wife's Christmas present.

He wanted to do something similar for his mother's birthday.  And here it is:

 I prepped a 20x16 canvas with watercolor ground.  I used Koi watercolor for the background, which was an interesting experience.  I'm still an amateur with the watercolor ground and I guess it takes longer to absorb the watercolor into it.  I discovered this a few hours after I painted the background with a few washes of blue.  I thought it was dry, but every time I moved the painting I would find blue all over my arms and legs.

For the mother and the dog, I used Derwent Inktense pencils.  I was working from 2 different photos so I included a few in-progress shots showing the originals I was working from.

 In order for me to figure out proportions and placement, I had to use Photoshop to put the two images together.

My workout partner and his wife loved the finished painting a lot!  So much, that he wants me to do a third portrait painting!!!

Commission Portrait

2014 was a horrible year for me.  It ended just as it had begun.  I found myself not really in a giving or "holiday" mood.  I'm told it is understandable considering the year I've had, but it felt wrong.

I tried to get into the spirit a little with a few sketches, but they didn't really help.

One thing that was a good distraction was the commission I obtained.  My workout partner had seen my Frida Self portrait in the members art show at the Huntington Beach Art Center.  He originally wanted me to do a Mizzle painting for his office, but then he decided he wanted me to do a painting as a Christmas present for his wife.  I absolutely adore his wife, and was thrilled to do this for him.  It was one of my favorite projects to work on. 

I used this as an opportunity to try out watercolor ground.  I had read about it, but never used it before.  I painted on a thick layer of watercolor ground onto a 16x20 canvas and allowed it to dry for 72 hours.  I used my Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencils to create this painting.  I was surprised how the watercolor ground felt like watercolor paper when it was dry.  It was very easy to work with.  It's a little expensive for my taste.  I think for this size I'd prefer to work with watercolor board, but I felt for this gift it needed to be on a canvas.  

I also created a painting for my mom, which was a difficult decision.  I almost didn't do it because I wasn't sure if I should.  I create a drawing or painting of a family member every year for my mom.  After talking it out with my little sister, we decided I should go for it.  It was a painful, yet rewarding experience.  I decided to do a painting of my mom and dad about to kiss.  I won't lie.  I cried every time I worked on it.  But, it was something worth going through.  

I think the look on my mom's face when she saw it was the best.  And my little sister loved it too.

I'm hoping 2015 turns out to better year all around.  So far it hasn't disappointed.  There is a possibility of more portrait commissions in the works.  *Fingers crossed*

Influences- Chuck Close

Chuck Close standing next to the Big Self-Portrait, 1968

I can't remember when I fell in love with Chuck Close.  I have loved his portraits for many years.  His earlier work is amazing in detail and size.  Photorealism is my absolute favorite art movement.  What I admire most about him is that after his accident and being diagnosed parapalegic, he continued to create art. It is amazing to see him work.  His paintings are just as large as before.  They may not be as photorealistic, but they are realistic and have an optical illusion feel to it.

Mark, 1979, Acrylic on canvas

 

Every year, I show the Chuck Close video to my students as inspiration for their photorealistic assignment.  But always hope they take away from the video that no matter what life throws at you determination to keep moving forward will take you a long way.

Chuck Close working on Self-Portrait, 2000-01

In 2007, my life was complete.  Chuck Close had a exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art.  I had never seen his work in person before.  Granted the work was not his paintings, but his prints and paper images were just as amazing.  At this exhibit I bought the book Close Reading by Martin Friedman.  I began reading it, but life got in the way and I never finished it.  Of what I read, it had great sarcastic humor and a realness to it.  As I read it, I could hear Chuck Close's voice.  My plan is to go back to reading the book the moment school lets out.

Lyle, 2000, Eight-color soft-ground etching

Self-Portrait, 1983, Pulp paper on canvas

Self-Portrait, 1980, Stamp pad ink on gray paper

Originally, I wasn't going to talk about Close today for my influence, but I began the Hero's Art Journey course with Mira Reisberg.  Our first task is exploring the self portrait.  It made me think of him.
I have no idea what I am going to do for my self-portrait, but I have to get working on it.

What if Mizzles had real facial features?

Continuing with my extremely active day yesterday, I ended up creating this drawing while I was waiting for my yoga class to begin. 

"Uh, what do we do now?"

This semester for my beginning art and drawing students, we are focused on portraits.  We spent a few days drawing eyes.  Today, we took notes on how to draw and shade the nose.  After spending 3 hours of drawing noses, I began thinking "what would my characters look like if they had real facial features?"  It definitely changes their feel.

It is a little funny to see them this way, but they look too human-like for me.  What I have always loved about these characters is that no matter what expression I draw them with, they continue to have a loving, caring, friendly quality about them.  They are never too scary or threatening.  They also maintain a look of innocence