Derek's small portrait
watercolor, artcard, 2.5"x3.5" ($50 USD)
I am trying portraits again despite my fear of them ... yes, I said fear. People are super challenging to me and I apologize to Derek for making him look cross eyed and giving him a small mouth. Sorry dude, I couldn't help it. I still dunno what I did and I will have to stare at this for a long time to figure it out. Anyone have suggestions? I wish seeing proportions came naturally to me and could whip out accurate portraits like France or Mellanie. But I guess wishing isn't going to help so I've decided to get back on the horse and try a few. More portraits (and of course more bunnies) are forthcoming!
BTW, thank you Derek for your permission to use your reference photo. :)
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7 comments:
This is very good and portraits are not easy, so don't beat yourself up. I think maybe the eyes look like they could be further apart and perhaps the nose is a bit on the long side.
Carolyn, you are so right! I really do think it helps to get feedback. Had I done that with the base drawing, I know it would have been more accurate. Thanks for the insight! :)
Joan, I think you are seeing the portrait differently than I-you are so talented and it looks very alive! I love your work!
Hey thanks Liz. I realized there are certain things that I avoid but by avoiding things that are difficult, I do realize I inhibit myself from growing. This is one of those areas. And giving television interviews is another. Guess I'll be needing to do that soon too!
You've done a brilliant job as far as I can see ... and I understand exactly what you mean about portrait fear, I avoid them as much as I possibly can!
I agree, portraits are hard -- it's difficult to force oneself to see (and draw) the actual shapes, angles and spatial relationships in a face instead of "what we think we know" about the person we're looking at.
As someone who shares your fear (but my fear is of painting with opaque paints rather than watercolor), I applaud you for going at this, er, head-on. Also, I think it's a good portrait. I don't know what Derek looks like, so I can't comment on likeness. But in drawing people, I think there are two kinds of success. One kind is making a portrait that really captures that particular person. But the other is just doing an interesting painting. With practice, I suppose, they come together more often. But don't discount doing a nice portrait.
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