Earth Day – 04/22/2017

10:27 PM

 

blasted this out this morning while everyone was taking turns for a shower. I made a big pot of coffee, put out the bagels, lox & cream cheese and let everyone fend for themselves. (this pen needs refilling) (okay now… different pen) I could have spent more time blending but I like it the way it is. it seems fresher than my other portraits. Drizzly today. we spent it in Hanover at the globe exhibit, a particularly good place to go on earth day. P. thought about going to one of the science marches but we had already made plans with P. & S. decided on take-out from Kata Thai… we have plenty of beer. I would have preferred Tuk Tuk but I was out-voted.

 

Too long

 

maybe

 

GLASSES… ugh.

 

no – no – no – no – no!   too round!!   way more nose, lips and chin please!

 

lip line – 2 mountains & a valley

 

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in.)

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Multitasking At Its Best – 04/18/2017

8:46 PM

I think this may be my best nose yet! and it may be better… the whole painting is actually better than my prelim. I remembered to widen her face and add more hair. the shadows under the hair seems to be more important than I originally thought. two weeks of nothing but gouache. my watercolors have been put away so I’m not even tempted. P watches the Red Sox while I take over the dining table. he watches while catching up on the latest biology journals. he’s leading journal club on Thursday. multitasking at its best… science & sports. 

smiles need squinty eyes to be authentic. 

Left

Right

needs more hair

less upper lip
( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Absolutely Meditative – 04/17/2017

10:43 PM

painting her hair was absolutely meditative. phthalo blue, burnt sienna, & payne’s grey. just layer it on. and on, and on. I didn’t want to stop. her eyes are too big but… too bad. I guess I still need more proportion work. it was better in the pencil drawing. esp. her right eye. left was just a hair too large. tomorrow I’m going to check out J. Crew in Hanover. maybe they’ll have a skirt in a color other than black. I’ve finished my resume… mostly… and I’m going to check out the college job listings. one of the women who works at the med-school says there are a few openings. that would work as long as I don’t have to work with Peter. that would be way too much togetherness.  

Left eye

Right eye

nose needs to be wider

Quite Dark under lip & nearly a lost edge under right side of chin. 

( image:  22 in. x 14 in. )

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Beautiful Streaming – 04/16/2017

9:22 PM

service did go very long today but the light was beautiful streaming through the windows. made me almost forget how uncomfortable those pews are… almost. we had a lovely dinner at the Morris’. The easter standard, ham & scalloped potatoes. it was a full house. 12 of us. the Morris family, a couple of students, 2 of the other post-docs with their husbands and Peter & me. there were lots of flowers so I’m extra glad we brought a plant. it was so warm today we opened all the windows once we got home only to have to run around & close them all when a surprise shower blew in. the wind picked up so fast. of course, the laundry still needs to be done. P’s flipping through the channels searching for something good. he seems to have settled on hockey. ugh.

lower far eye

slightly oblique

almost a total profile

true lateral

( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

( image: 22 in. x 14 in.)

#IFJM2017

Paying Attention – 04/15/2017

10:37 PM

I can draw all the level lines I want but if I’m not paying attention, like tonight, I’ll still draw the nostrils too straight instead of on a tilt. smaller portraits take less than a quarter of the time I spend on the large ones. just the right amount of time to spend this weekend. lovely warm day. we went for coffee this morning, then did the food shopping. too nice to do much of anything else. the laundry will just have to be done tomorrow – maybe after we get back from easter dinner. I’d do it in the morning but we have church. and being easter I bet it goes long. we thought about going out for dinner but instead we did the pizza thing. beer for Peter, wine for me. wonder if I can finish the bottle before it goes off.

tilt

tilt

tilt

tilt

( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Graciously Told – 04/14/17

9:28 PM

P’s gone off to the lab. again, just a quick in & out. says this bit is the last for the week. no work this weekend being the holiday & all. we’ve been invited to Peter’s boss’s house for easter dinner. I’m a little nervous, I’ve only met him when P came for his interview. and I’ve never met his wife. I asked if we could bring something and were graciously told not to bother. they had it all under control. okay, so I don’t bring food but we’ll find something to bring. wine? flowers? I’m sure I’ll find something tomorrow at the co-op. it’s 15% off day too. sat outside this afternoon working on my resume. the sun felt so good on my shoulders. the neighbor’ cat came over. probably checking on our rodent status. our landlord says the chipmunks live under the deck. not for long if the cat has any say in the matter. 

<— CHUBBY cheeks

child’s nose – all three balls relatively the same size and spaced widely apart. 

remember lower lip lighter and has highlights. 

No! —>

huge irises & rounder eyes – looking cranky… eyebrows are knitted up. 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Discomforting Feeling – 04/13/2017

10:08 PM

 

 

it’s too late and I’m too tired. in fact I was so tired when I started this that I decided to forego making a full gouache portrait. my mechanical pencil to the rescue. I had another poor nights sleep and woke up this morning knowing I dreamt and having a real discomforting feeling that something bad had happened. like a nightmare but not. do I remember anything beyond that? of course not. that’s both good and bad I guess. oooh… my hand is smearing the pencil. it’s definitely time to stop, wash my hands and go to bed.

 

look right —>

 

<— look left

 

lower lip more recessed than upper but catches more light

 

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017

Frustration Reigns Supreme – 04/10/2017

9:52 PM

Frustration reigns supreme here. I really need to find my caucasian skin tone recipe. of course I can just keep layering on the white. she’s still too dark but now as I put my hand next to the drawing it doesn’t seem all that dark after all. I like how her right eye really has the feel of being recessed. and teeth… her “white” teeth has a fine layer of gray over all & then another darker layer for the shadow. the white of the paper was too white to be natural. even too white for teeth of celebrities where they have them whitened professionally.

more forehead

too pouty

realistic for some but not for everyone 

just hinting at teeth is best

three ball system works well for her nose… there’s no system for teeth… sigh.

( image:  22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017