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16x20 Graphite/pastel on art spectrum paper

Pastel on sanded paper

16x20 graphite/pastel on Art Spectrum paper

I am trying out a sanded pastel paper called Art Spectrum Colorfix. Pastel is still a frustrating medium for me as it takes so many layers to get the depth I am used to with oils. This paper does not work as well with my favorite General pastel pencils or shading with graphite. It requires softer pencils. I kept this less detailed to go with the bright colors. This child always has her happy face on and is a joy to be around.

Closeup

Sketch for Pastel

Pencil sketch on onion skin paper 16x20
This is the sketch of another beautiful child for a pastel portrait.

Study for Oil Portrait

Pencil sketch for 24x30 oil
I can't wait to begin painting this beautiful child. This is the head study for a full 24x30 oil portrait.

Back from hike

Great Smoky Mountains
Each year at this time, I take off a week to hike with friends. A long, challenging hike somewhere awesome is my favorite thing to do. I am an outdoorsy person and sitting in front of an easel all day is a bit hard for me.

Discontinuing graphite with pastel

I have decided to no longer take new commissions at this time for the graphite drawings with pastels. I may offer something similar in color soon in another medium such as watercolor, acrylic or mixed media that will be in the same price range. Although beautiful, they are too time consuming to do.

If you have already commissioned or recieved a pastel and have another child you were wanting in the same fashion, I will certainly be willing to do that child in a matching pastel in the future, while not offering commissions in pastel to new clients. All pastel commissions that I curently have will be honored.

I will still offer graphite and graphite with charcoal portraits.

Sketch for new oil portrait

For a 16x20 oil on canvas
This is a rough sketch for new oil portrait. I sketch onto onion skin paper, then transfer with graphite paper to canvas, using as few lines as possible and carefully redraw. I erase the drawing as I paint to avoid lines showing through. I can then begin applying the layers of oil paint.

Graphite with charcoal drawings

16x20 Graphite/charcoal on Canson Mi teintes paper
My graphite and charcoal drawings are drawings done on medium grey paper with black and white charcoal pencils used to add darks and highlights. The use of graphite allows me to make a very detailed drawing with subtle shading I can't get with charcoal alone.

Graphite with pastel

16x20 on Canson Mi-Teintes paper
I want to make sure that clients understand that my pastels are not traditional thick pastel paintings but are detailed drawings with color. I first do a graphite drawing and add color to it with subtle applications of soft pastel and pastel pencils brushed into the drawing. I do this over a med. tan paper that shows through the color allowing me to get a nice skin tone while contrasting with the whites and highlights.

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Precious child

16x20 Oil, head and shoulders
I used a classic background here as I painted this sweet toddler stage. She has grown up so much since I photographed her and no longer has chubby cheeks and has long blond hair now at two. I did a lot detail on the smocking and lace. The threads are raised and it has a three dimensional look and feel like the real thing.

Big brother

16x20 oil, head and shoulders
I wanted to keep the backgrounds and lighting similar to his sister's since they will hang in the same room. I enjoyed painting the beautiful eye color and long lashes.

Doc

18x24 oil on canvas

Just delivered this black lab portrait. She wanted brighter more whimsical elements to go with the dog's fun personality. The original photo had browns.

Portrait delivered

22x28 oil on canvas
I will will miss this portrait. This child was a joy to work with as he never complained and the weather turned very cold for his bare feet. I enjoyed painting all the different rich browns in this painting and look forward to painting his little brother next year who is just as handsome.

Questions about photos

I have had inquiries about the type of photos that can be used for a portrait. I prefer to take them myself or have my assistant take them. But if you have a particular photo you would like to use, I can usually make a portrait from it. It needs to be high enough resolution to see all the detail of the face and hands. The background can be changed. Here I had to take the photo where the light was best and there is a car in the background. I knew I wanted a dark fall background to accent the brown suit and focus on the child. I kept the dramatic lighting and lightened some of the shadows of the face. I like to have several photos as well as close-ups to go by as I use touches of each to develop the features. The portrait is not an exact replica of the photo although it seems photographic. The painting is completely original from the drawing to the many layers needed to achieve the likeness and depth.
I do need the photographer's permission in order to paint from a photo took by a professional photographer. There is a copyright on the image.

First Layer of Oil Portrait

Oil on Canvas 22x28

The first layer is done with Lead White, Raw Umber and Terra Rosa only. I use the "fat over Lean" rule. Now I can lay in a background that complements the portrait. There will be many more layers with thicker paint and more colors to add depth and realism. This layer will show through as I use more transparent color. The bench will be glazed to look like wood. Check out the slideshow of this painting on bottom left.

Graphite/pastel

16x20 on Canson Mi-Teintes paper

Closeup of New Drawing

Graphite drawing with pastel 16x20

New graphite drawing with pastel

16x20

16" x20" Oil Portrait

Close-up

24x30 oil on canvas
I just had to a portrait of this child at a glass door. I liked the mood of the photo and the reflections in the glass. I took the photo at the session for the Brothers portraits. I love to do interesting lighting.

Oil Portrait

18 x 24 Oil on Canvas

Brothers

24x30 oil on canvas

Latest drawing

graphite and charcoal on toned paper

Sisters

24x36 oil on canvas

Pet portrait

This is an example of my pet portraits. This horse died in her 20s soon after I painted this. I made sure to do the detail of the barn as the owner had built the barn and plained the wood. the brand is the horse's name.

Graphite with black and white charcoal

16x20

I chose this pose because of the interesting fence and lighting for this pre-teen portrait. She is the daughter of my framers and they have been a huge help along my career. They matted and framed this to go with the unusual amber color paper I used.

Graphite/charcoal

Nephew


16x20 original

I normally don't do two portraits the same. But I had finished two cute portraits of brothers with bandanas and hats and later needed Christmas gifts of my nephews that live in Texas on a ranch. I took photos I already had of my newphews and added the elements of the hat and kercheif from the photos of the other boys and they looked perfect for their Texas home.