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Art facebook people Faces Gouache People Portrait

Cute Grandma and Baby: People Facebook Thinks I Should Know #5

Cute Grandma and Baby: People Facebook Says I Should Know #5.” Gouache, 6.5 x 6.5 inches
Cute Grandma and Baby: People Facebook Says I Should Know #5.” Gouache, 6.5 x 6.5 inches

Unlike with oil paints, there’s a point with gouache where it just gets nasty if you try to add one more layer or brush stroke. The positive side to that is that it encourages me to try to get the color and value right as quickly as possible; to put a stroke down and leave it, not thinking “close enough, I’ll fix it later” like I tend to do in oils (a lazy, bad habit).

On this painting I passed the point of no return on the woman’s face and have to admit I did a wee bit of softening/smudging in Procreate before I posted this to fix the lumps too many layers of paint made on her nose. Even so I didn’t do justice to how cute both she and the baby actually are in their photo.

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Art Digital art Drawing facebook people Faces Portrait Procreate on iPad Series Watercolor

Guys with Hats: People Facebook Thinks I Should Know #1 and #2

Facebook "People You May Know #1", Procreate digital painting
Facebook “People You May Know #1”, Procreate digital painting

Every time I open Facebook it shows me photos of random people it thinks I might want to know. Many of them are in curious settings or have interesting faces so I’ve started saving them to paint or draw. Above is the first one, done in Procreate on the iPad, where I tried to simulate an oil painting digitally.

Since I don’t have permission to use their photos I won’t post them here but it will be fun to see if anyone recognizes themselves or their friends, given the small world we live in now.

Facebook "People You May Know #2", watercolor, 7x7 inches
Facebook “People You May Know #2”, watercolor, 7×7 inches

I tried painting with watercolor (above) over the graphite sketch below in a Stonehenge square sketchbook. I discovered that I am very rusty with my watercolors and this sketchbook is apparently NOT watercolor paper, so this is kind of a mess. But an interesting mess.

Facebook "People You May Know #2", graphite, 7x7 inches
Facebook “People You May Know #2”, graphite, 7×7 inches

I realized I need lots more drawing practice, after trying to paint a life-size three-person portrait in oils over several months and failing again and again. I put the project and the four failed canvases in the closet to try again another day after I improve my portrait drawing skills.

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Art Faces Gouache Painting People Portrait Sktchy

Cool Portrait in Gouache

Gouache sketch of "Ms. Red Rose" from Sktchy App
Gouache sketch from Sktchy photo of Ms. Red Rose, 10×8 inches

I had to make myself stop or I would have worked on this one forever because the colors and expression in the Sktchy photo were so fascinating (and challenging) and fun! I again tried to focus on painting the planes of the face using mostly cool colors with some warm colors to help create dimension. The lighting really helped show the underlying structure of her face.

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Art Faces Gouache People Portrait Sktchy

Warm Portrait in Gouache

Sketch of Olivia A. from Sktchy in gouache in Strathmore Mixed Media Journal, 8.5” x 11” .
Olivia A. from Sktchy in gouache in Strathmore Mixed Media Journal, 8.5 x 11 inches

I was really happy with the way this gouache portrait of Olivia A. from her photo in the Sktchy app turned out. I focused on putting down patches or tiles of color, based on what I was seeing but also considering color temperature and facial landmarks. It also helped that for once did a good job on the drawing first.

Sometimes I study and study and have lots of book learning and every now and then, if I’m really lucky and persistent, it pours out of the end of my pencil or paint brush like magic and I actually meet your goals for a piece.

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Art Faces People Portrait

A Family Tree of Noses and More Noses

More practice drawing features. Above my family tree of noses with various relatives. Do you see anything in common? Below random famous and not famous noses.

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Faces Portrait

Eye Eye Eyes!

I took a class on Schoolism.com with Jason Seiler about drawing realistic portraits that was very helpful. This was part of the homework for the class, drawing lots of eyes. Above is one from Sktchy app and below are from photos from that class, the web and people I know. The next one below is my son Robin. All are done on the iPad in Procreate.

Robin's eyes and an ear, Procreate on the iPad.
Robin’s eyes and an ear, Procreate on the iPad.

Eye, sketched in Procreate on the iPad
Eye, sketched in Procreate on the iPad

Eye, sketched in Procreate on the iPad
Eye, sketched in Procreate on the iPad

More Eyes, sketched in Procreate on the iPad
More Eyes, sketched in Procreate on the iPad

Working out comparative measurement
Working out comparative measurement

Categories
Digital art Faces People Portrait Procreate on iPad

Sktchy and a 16th Century Flemish Lady

I tried several times to draw Alexa, a young woman I found on the Sktchy app, whose photo (below, top left) reminded me of the 16th century Flemish paintings of women. None of my sketches are great but it was fun trying to draw her as one of those ladies. All done on Procreate on the iPad.

  

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Digital art Faces People Sketchbook Pages Sktchy

Sketching People on the iPad Pro

Lady in Red (from Sktchy)

While my backyard and the entrance to my studio were inaccessible due to construction I did more drawing and painting on my iPad than on canvas. The 12.9″ iPad is just the right size for me and the Apple Pencil makes it just like drawing with a great pencil or pen except so much easier to erase or start over without fear of “wasting” paper. Here are a few of those sketches from TV and photos.

 

 

Categories
Faces People Portrait

Portrait Sketch on Map of Pooh Corner

Thanks to Kaelin on Sktchy app for the twinkle in her eyes that inspired me to sketch her on my ancient Winnie the Pooh book’s last page map of Pooh Corners. Digital ink in Procreate.

Kaelin, digital ink in Procreate on iPad.

Here is the photo reference from Sktchy.

Categories
Drawing Faces Oil Painting Painting People Portrait Sketchbook Pages

Oil Portrait of Baby Toa; Painting with Joy and Freedom

Portrait of Baby Toa, oil on linen panel, 10x8 inches
Portrait of Baby Toa, oil on linen panel, 10×8 inches

I really enjoyed making this painting of my friend’s grandson Toa. The biggest challenge was working from a cellphone photo taken in a carseat in the dark where his skin looked dark and bright orange. Fortunately I was able to see some other snapshots with better skin color.

I’ve been taking a new approach to painting; focusing on the joy of creating and letting go of the internal “committee” that demands perfection. I have accepted that my work will never be perfect and that perfect art bores me anyway. A bit of wonkiness, even in a portrait, is ok with me, if I feel I have captured the spark of the subject. I’m painting for myself; if it pleases someone else too that’s a bonus, but not at all a requirement. Giving myself this freedom has completely changed my life.

Below are my initial sketches, a picture of the setup with the photo, and an early stage in the painting.