Amica Family Portrait

Here's my completed portrait, finished on time.  This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  For pencils, I used Pentel P205 mechanical pencils with 4H, 2H, H, B, and 2B leads.  

This is sprayed with fixative, matted and framed, and is ready to be delivered.

Amica Family Portrait Update

Here's an update on my commissioned portrait.  Almost finished, should be done by tomorrow night.  Once complete, I'll spray this with fixative to prevent yellowing and smudges, mat and frame it, and prepare it for delivery on Wednesday.  More to come, stay tuned.

Amica Family Portrait

Here's my line drawing for my newest commission piece (that has to be done by Christmas - talk about marathon drawing sessions).  Sorry the lighting is bad, but I took the photo with a very dim desk lamp.  My next update will be better.  This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  I'm using Pentel P205 mechanical pencils with 4H, 2H, H, B, and 2B leads. I'm working light to dark to adjust the contrast accordingly.  This is the first time I'm drawing to people kissing.   More to come soon!

Maille Family Portrait - Update

I made an adjustment to the portrait, took away some graphite and dark tone using blu-tak.   I made the drawing a bit lighter which I think looks better.  I've sprayed this with fixative, matted and framed it, and delivering it tonight.

Maille Family Portrait Complete

14 x 17 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  This commission piece is complete.  Now to start my next one.

Maille Family Portrait WIP 1

Here's a work in progress image of my newest portrait.  This is a commission piece for Christmas.

This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.

For pencils, I'm using Pentel P205 mechanical pencils with a 2B lead.  I'm blending with a small tortillion, soft bathroom tissue paper, and a 2inch hake brush. More to come!

New Portrait Commission

Here's my line drawing and first work in progress image for my newest portrait commission.

This is 14 x 17 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.   So far for pencils, I used a Pentel P2015 mechanical pencil with a 2B lead.

I love using 2B lead because I can get such a tonal range just by using more or less pressure and by layering my graphite.

This is how I always start my portraits.  I call this stage in my process the "ugly" stage.  The lines are loosely drawn and quickly drawn which makes the drawing at this point look like a 2 year old did it.  But this stage is used for placement of features only.  Sort of like a road map, I map out how I want the portrait to look.   Once I have everything where I want them to be and all the features mapped out and mark where the shadows are, I can now start adding tone and texture to bring the portrait to life.

More to come soon!!!

Woburn Guild of Artists' Annual Open Art Exhibit

My portrait of Olivia won 2nd Place in the Mixed Media Category and I was also surprised to win "The People's Choice Award".

Olivia

Here's my completed drawing of Olivia.  She's been signed, sprayed with fixative, and is now ready to be delivered to her mom to give to her dad Christmas morning.

Olivia WIP 2

Here's an update on my commission piece, Olivia.  Her face is about 95% finished.  I want to add another layer of graphite to smooth out the tone and to really bring out the contrast.  I will be 100% finished with her face for my next update, then I can work on the bib and clothes.  Once the clothes is finished, she'll be ready to mat, frame, and wrap.

Olivia WIP

Here's a work in progress image of my newest portrait I'm working on.  This is Olivia, she's 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol smooth paper.  

I was asked by Olivia's mom to draw her, this is going to be a Christmas present for her dad.  More to come soon!

                                    

    

Robin Williams Complete

Here's my completed tribute portrait of Robin Williams.  This is 9 x 12 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.

Robin Williams WIP Continued

Here's another update on my tribute portrait of Robin Wiliams.  I'm really trying to focus on realism with this one.  I'm still using Pentel P205 mechanical pencils with 4H, 2H, H, B, and 2B leads.  I'm blending using a q-tip cotton swab, a medium tortillion, soft bathroom tissue paper, and a hake brush.

I'm pretty much done with the head/face now I'm moving on to the sweater.  More to come soon!

Tribute Portrait of Robin Williams WIP

Here's a work in progress image of my latest portrait.  This is a tribute portrait of Robin Williams.   I'm still making adjustments to the skin tone as I go along. I'm still using Pentel P205 mechanical pencils using 4H, 2H, H, B, and 2B leads. The light strands of hair are being "drawn" in using a Tuff Stuff Eraser stick which I cut at an angle so that I have a nice sharp edge. More to some soon!

JT Complete

Here's the finished version of my portrait of JT.  This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol smooth paper.

I had a lot of fun with the shadows in this one.  To do the shadows, I took a 2B pencil and worked the dark areas.  I then to soft bathroom tissue paper and blended the dark area.  I then added another layer of 2B graphite and blended with a blending stump.

I also loved the intense focused stare he has in this piece which is really what I wanted to focus on.

Portrait of JT (work in progress)

Here's an update on my portrait of JT.  I am still working on tone and texture of the skin.  I'm blending using a blending stump, a cotton swab, and soft bathroom tissue paper.  For dark tones, I'm using a 2B pencil and for lighter tones, I'm using an H pencil.  For the highlighted hairs of his beard, I'm using a Tuff Stuff eraser stick/pen I cut at an angle to get a nice sharp edge to "draw" the highlighted hairs (negative drawing - taking away graphite instead of adding).  More to come soon!

Portrait of JT - Work in Progress

Here's a portrait I'm working on for practice.  Lately I've been wanting to draw deep shadows.  I really love a face in shadow and how the light plays off of the features.   I love the dramatic effect.

With this portrait, JT's face is mostly in shadow with just the left (screen's right) side of his face is in the light.   This is my interpretation of JT.

This is a work in progress.  The size is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  For pencils I'm using Prismacolor Torquoise drawing pencils 7H, 4H, H, 2B, and 4B.   I'm blending using bathroom tissue paper, a medium tortillion, and a cotton swab.

Update coming soon!

New Portrait WIP 2

Here's an update on my newest portrait. I'm working on building the tone and texture of the skin.  This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  For pencils, I'm using Pentel P205 mechanical pencils with 4H, 2H, H, B, and 2B lead.  More to come soon!

New Portrait

Here's an update on my newest portrait.  I started this yesterday while at the Northeast PAC Arts and Crafts Show in Wakefield.    It turned into a demonstration.  As I started drawing, I noticed more and more people around me, next thing I know - I have a crowd....I was a rock star!!!

This is just the initial tone.  I will be adding more texture to the skin as I go along.   More to come soon!

Martin King Cavataio - Complete

Here's my finished portrait.  This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  For pencils, I used a Pentel P205 mechanical pencil with a 2B lead.  I also used a 2H and a 4H lead for the lighter tone.  I blended using a medium tortillion and soft bathroom tissue paper. 

Here's one more update.  I've started Martin's other eye.  This is going to be real dark, I'm going to darkening the entire paper and will try to bring him out of the shadows so to speak.  I'm still using a Pentel P205 mechanical pencil with a 2B lead.  I'm also starting to add a 4H and a 2H lead for the lighter tones on the face.  I'm blending with a medium tortillion and soft tissue paper.  I am overlapping my light and dark tone then blend them together to try to achieve a nice smooth transition from dark to light.  More to come soon!

Martin King Cavataio (Work in Progress)

Here's another update to my portrait of Martin.  I have his hand complete, just need to make some minor tweaks here and there; but for the most part, the hand is done.   I added tone to his fingers by applying graphite by making tiny overlapping circles (circulism) then blending with a medium tortillion, also using a circular motion to achieve a smooth blend.  I then add another layer of graphite and blending some more.  I repeat the process until I achieve the darkest value possible by applying a slightly harder hand pressure each time.  

I'll be moving onto Martin's face as I focus on the shadows and try to manipulate the light.   I will save the background for last since that will be completely black.  

More to come soon!!!!

Portrait of Martin

Beginnings of a new portrait.  This is 11 x 14 graphite on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper.  So far I'm using only a Pentel P205 mechanical pencil with a 2B lead.  I'm blending using a medium tortillion.

To begin, I print out my reference photo in gray scale.  I then create my line drawing which I call the ugly stage of my process.  The line drawing is drawn fairly quickly and doesn't really look like much at this point.   I also map out where I want the facial features as well as shadow and light.  Once I'm content with the line drawing, I can start to bring my subject to life on paper.

WIP 1

WIP 2

WIP 3