Category: People

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Art Drawing Faces People Portrait

Sketching from “The Twelve”

Actor portrait sketch #2 from "The Twelve" Belgian TV Series
Actor portrait sketch #2 from “The Twelve” Belgian TV Series

The Belgian TV Series “The Twelve” is an interesting courtroom drama. The plot unfolds as told by the accused, the victim’s family and each of the twelve jurors. The show is moody and dark and the actors were all interesting to look at. I took photos from the TV since Netflix doesn’t allow screenshots and then sketched from them. 

Below are the reference photos and the sketches. These are all around 11 x 14″. My goal was to capture the correct angle and structure of the head and hopefully a likeness. Once I got to “good enough” I moved on to the next. I wasn’t trying to do finished drawings.

Screen shot reference photo
Actor portrait sketch #2 from "The Twelve" Belgian TV Series
Actor portrait sketch #3 from “The Twelve” Belgian TV Series
Screen shot reference photo
Actor portrait sketch #4 from "The Twelve" Belgian TV Series
Actor portrait sketch #2 from “The Twelve” Belgian TV Series
Screen shot reference photo
Actor portrait sketch #1 from “The Twelve” Belgian TV Series
Screen shot reference photo
Actor portrait sketch #4 from "The Twelve" Belgian TV Series
Actor portrait sketch #4 from “The Twelve” Belgian TV Series

The photo above captured the closed captioning from the show (“Were you drinking?”).

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Art Drawing Faces People Portrait Sktchy

More Portrait Practice Sketches

Sketch of Michelle from Sktchy, graphite, 12x9"
Sketch of Michelle from Sktchy, graphite, 12×9″
Sketch of Tajh G from Sktchy, graphite, 12x9"
Sketch of Tajh G from Sktchy, graphite, 12×9″
Sketch #2 of TJ from Sktchy
Sketch #3 of TJ Smith from Sktchy, graphite, 12×9″
Sketch #1 of TJ Smith from Sktchy, graphite, 12x9"
Sketch #1 of TJ Smith from Sktchy, graphite, 12×9″

These are more of my portrait sketches from the Drawing the Head class I took last summer (doesn’t summer seem so long ago?!) I discovered that starting over is easier than correcting bad starts so I sketched most of them more than once. TJ Smith’s sketch took three tries until I felt like I captured what struck me as his very pleasant expression.

I always like to see how artists interpret their subjects. If you’re like me and want to see the reference photos, just click their names below their images to either go to my Sktchy page (if you have the Sktchy app) or to Sktchy on the web. Then click (PC) or swipe (mobile) my sketch to reveal the reference photo below it.

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Art Faces People Portrait Sktchy Sktchy

Portrait Drawing Study – Raquel

Portrait Sketch in Graphite of Raquel C from Sktchy
Third attempt to get this twisty-necked lady right. Graphite on newsprint, 12×9″

I’m continuing to work with the Loomis Method, which is really helping me. As you can see below, I got a little closer and her nose and jaw got little smaller each time I tried to draw her.

Second Attempt at drawing Raquel
Second Attempt at drawing Raquel
First Attempt at drawing Raquel
First Attempt at drawing Raquel

You can see the model I was working from on Sktchy here. I’ve been working on this project since August but got sidetracked by the election and now that I can concentrate again I’ll be catching up on posting my work over the next week or two.

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Art Drawing Faces People Portrait

Michigan Moron Mugshot Sketches

Mugshots of 10 of the 11 morons arrested for plotting to kidnap the governor, graphite on paper, 14" x 8.5"
Mugshots of 10 of the 11 morons arrested for plotting to kidnap the governor, graphite on paper, 14″ x 8.5″

When I saw the mugshots of the morons that plotted to kidnap Michigan’s governor, I had to draw them. (I know, I’m weird.)

The strange thing about drawing someone is that in the process you begin to see their humanity, develop compassion for them, see the sadness in their eyes, recognize that they have mothers who may or may not have loved them. But still….

Here’s the original mugshot photo I sketched from

Original mugshot photos
Original mugshot photos
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Art Drawing Faces Sktchy

Learning Loomis; Drawing Heads Part 1

Christiane Vex, Sktchy, graphite 10x10"
Christiane Vex, Sktchy, graphite 10×10″ To see the photo reference, visit Sktchy, here and click the drawing.

I recently finished a 4-week class on Sktchy’s Art School, “Drawing the Human Head with Mike Creighton” based on the Loomis method. I highly recommend Mike’s class if you struggle with making people look like actual human people, let alone looking like very specific people.

Continue reading “Learning Loomis; Drawing Heads Part 1”
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Art Drawing Faces Portrait

Stella! Back to Sketching Sktchy People

Stella from Sktchy, 8x6” colored pencils
Stella from Sktchy, 8×6” colored pencils

This was the last portrait sketch I did before beginning on some intensive head drawing study. More about that coming up on my next posts, but wanted to get this one from over a month ago posted first. You can see the reference photo by clicking on my sketch on Sktchy here.

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Art Faces Oil Painting People Portrait

Emi

Emi, oil on Arches Oil Paper, 10 x 7.5"
Emi, oil on Arches Oil Paper, 10 x 7.5″

This commissioned portrait of a darling little girl was really fun to paint but had some challenges, like trying to invent the pajamas hidden by the highchair straps. It took several drawings (including one of a baby skull I found on Google) before I was ready to move ahead with the painting as you can see in the process steps below.

Emi’s face was actually easier to paint than the pajamas, and I was tempted to keep working on them, probably forever, but the friend who commissioned the painting was happy with it as is, so I am too.

Below is some of the work in progress steps. Please note that the lighting changed the colors in some of the photos.

Continue reading “Emi”
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Art People Portrait

Mimi at Marcy’s

Mimi at Marcy's, oil on Arches Oil Paper, 9.5" x 7"
Mimi at Marcy’s, oil on Arches Oil Paper, 9.5″ x 7″

Although I’m happy with this pre-quarantine composition and painting, I regret not checking the drawing before beginning to paint. I sensed something wasn’t right and sure enough, when I did the digital tracing (below) I found my mistake, but it was too late. I’d either need to start over or let it go.

When drawing/painting people I ask myself, “Does it at least look human, if not that specific human?” Hmmmm. Well, I guess I can celebrate the parts that worked and let go of mistakes and remember to check my drawing next time! Also I might be coming to believe that sometimes the anatomy isn’t as important as the feeling I’m trying to convey, and that caricature or distortion might be ok (though it’s probably better when it’s intended).

Continue reading “Mimi at Marcy’s”
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Art Digital art Drawing Faces Oil Painting People Portrait Sktchy

Three Portraits of Dayris

Portrait of Dayris, Oil on Arches Oil Paper, 10"x8.5"
Portrait of Dayris, Oil on Arches Oil Paper, 10″x8.5″

I’ve had so much fun painting and sketching the lovely Dayris from Sktchy in oil (above), and before that, in pencil and then doing a digital sketch in Procreate (below). Also below you’ll find a slide show of the work in progress. Doing the two initial drawings really helped me quickly get a pretty accurate drawing for the oil painting. You can see her reference photo on Sktchy here.

Initial pencil drawing of Dayris, 12x9"
Initial pencil drawing of Dayris, 12×9″
Digital Sketch of Dayris in Procreate
Digital Sketch of Dayris in Procreate

Below are the steps in the process of making the portrait.

  • Initial pencil drawing of Dayris, 12x9"
    Initial pencil drawing of Dayris, 12×9″
  • Digital Sketch of Dayris in Procreate
    Digital Sketch of Dayris in Procreate
  • Umber underpainting
    Umber underpainting
  • Some background and shirt
    Some background and shirt
  • Some paint on face
    Some paint on face
  • Icky background in with palette knife
    Icky background in with palette knife
  • More work on background, still icky
    More work on background, still icky
  • Background better but not happy with shirt or hair
    Background better but not happy with shirt or hair
  • Almost done
    Almost done
  • Scraped off shirt and some hair to redo
    Scraped off shirt and some hair to redo
  • Portrait of Dayris, Oil on Arches Oil Paper, 10"x8.5"
    Portrait of Dayris, Oil on Arches Oil Paper, 10″x8.5″
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Art Oil Painting Portrait Procreate on iPad Sktchy

Last Portraits of 2019

Portrait of Kori L from Sktchy, 10x8” oil on gessoed watercolor paper
Portrait of Kori L from Sktchy, 10×8” oil on gessoed watercolor paper

After working on this portrait for two months, trying over and over to capture this lovely woman in paint, I have to admit I never truly succeeded. I learned from all the struggles and attempts but it’s about to be a new year and time to start something new so I’m moving on. You can see her reference photo on Sktchy by clicking on the image of my painting here.

Below are two digital sketches in Procreate from Sktchy, done this month while waiting for the paint to dry on the portrait to try once again on a new layer of oil paint to get it right.

Sketched in #procreate5 from a #sketchyapp photo by Nicolas Schram Illustration
Sketched in Procreate from a Sketchy app photo by Nicolas Schram Illustration

You can see the reference photo for the sketch above here and the one below here on Sktchy. Just click my drawing there to see the reference photo beneath it.

Sketch of H. J. Haggerty from Sktchy in Procreate
H. J. Haggerty from Sktchy in Procreate