Teaching Moment – 04/19/2017

8:33 PM

 

I’ve looked at this fella a bunch of times and I think I’ve finally figured out what’s wrong… what’s off. It’s the refection of the light in his eyes. eyeballs are spheres… a curved surface. if the light is coming from his left as he looks down to the right… there’s no way the highlight should be there. it should be in shadow and the highlight should be on the left near the visible sclera. should I correct it? nah. I would lose the teaching moment. I really like how the skin tone shows through his beard. fewer beard hairs there. Sara asked me to do the kennels again. this time because Jeanne called in… her husband had a heart attack last night and she’s going to stay with him. definitely more important. I told S. I’d do Jeanne’s shift on Friday. there’s a benefit of not working full-time… flexibility.

 

bulbous

 

lips hidden by mustache. lip line uneven.

 

very short distance from eye to tip of nose.

 

ears tip outward

 

tag: Kindness is the essence of life

( image: 11 in. x 14 in. )

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in.)

#IFJM2017

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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

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

Hipster-ish – 04/09/2017

9:17 PM

 

what a day! sunny & warm… finally! got out for a nice long walk after church. we walked over to the Four Aces for a late breakfast – early lunch. our neighbors tell us of the old diner when it sat up on the hill in W. Lee. and the food was good but not hipster-ish as it is now. hipster but still a diner… even if the food is locally sourced.

 

Noses use the three ball system

Pencil drawing under this one… much easier to hide than ink and easier to have a reference line than not.

 

( image:  11 in. x 14 in. )

 

( image: 22 in. x 14 in. )

#IFJM2017