Two Oil Portraits

I have been working on a cp portrait commission, but also recently finished two oil portraits that I thought I'd post here. The first portrait is of Brian (my favorite model and test subject) and is on canvas. The second one is on Rtistx pastel panel. For my first oil portrait, I kind of just dove in and didn't pre-mix any of the colors, but rather mixed them as I went along. My palette was a complete unorganized mess for most of the time I worked on this piece, but it was a good learning experience. For the second portrait of Caitlyn, I tried pre-mixing a few colors I knew I'd use, but I also worked in a somewhat chaotic manner as I had to wipe all of the paint off the board after working for several hours because the panel did not absorb the paint in the same way that the canvas did. All in all I really enjoy working in oil because I tend to like to start with basic shapes and blocks of color, developing detail as I go.

Autumn Lace II

Autumn Lace II

Recently I completed a second installment of Autumn Lace, shown above. I decided to revisit the piece in part because I wanted to do a slightly more realistic background, but also because I felt that the complexion in the first piece was a little too washed out. In addition to wanting more mid-tones in the face, I decided to go with a slightly different pose. Also, I did this on Rtistx pastel panel, whereas the original was done on Pastelbord. I like this re-do better than the original, but just like last time, I have already heard from family and friends who prefer the first! Perhaps they like the more pleasant expression? Comments are welcome...

Another Interpretation

Elusive

20"x16"

Above is my latest piece, done using Neocolor II watersoluble pastels and colored pencil on Rtistx 420 panel. This is a more realistic interpretation of the scene I used for Botanical Lace, in which I made the leaves look more abstract to fit the theme. I find this piece more somber than Botanical Lace, but it still fits my style. I am very interested in hearing any opinions on the two pieces!

Ampersand Pastelbord vs. Rtistx 280 Panel

Autumn Lace

12"x16"

My latest piece shown above is very similar in concept to Botanical Lace, which I blogged about earlier. However, Autumn Lace was done on Ampersand Pastelbord, whereas Botanical Lace was done on Rtistx 280 panel. Because the pieces are so similar, it is easy for me to compare the supports. For both pieces, I created the background leaves by first applying “blobs” of color using Caran D’Ache Neocolor II watersoluble pastel crayons. I then went over the background with colored pencil, “finding” leaves in the abstract shapes of color. I find that I work more intuitively when I start with basic shapes and create detail as the work progresses. (That being said, I sometimes like to create pieces where control and precision is evident from the beginning, and I will be starting such a piece next). Both the Pastelbord and Rtistx 280 panel seemed to accept the watersoluble pastels very easily. The biggest difference I found was in applying the colored pencil.

Though I like Pastelbord for its durability and gritty surface, rendering smooth surfaces can be difficult as the surface is not as uniform and finely textured as the Rtistx 280 panel. The leaves ended up looking much smoother in Botanical Lace, and I found myself fighting the texture in Autumn Lace. Some of my pieces seem more suited to Pastelbord, such as Adorned with Pride, where I allowed the texture of the board to show for the background, and I also used to my advantage in creating the texture of the skin and clothing. But for creating softer looking portraits such as of children, I prefer the Rtistx 280 panel.

My Latest Piece...

Botanical Lace

16" x 20"

Colored pencil on Rtistx Panel

I’m finally posting my latest piece, shown above. You may recognize me as the subject in this piece as well as a few others. My reason for this is simple: I’m a convenient subject! Also, I like to be able to have complete control over the pose, clothing, and expression. I sometimes set up a camera with a timer to photograph myself, but often I just ask my husband to take a few snapshots (he’s very patient taking direction from me!)

I use the photographs quite loosely, however. I like to tweak colors and shape. In this piece, the leaves behind me were much more misshapen and with lighter shadows, but I wanted to carry the lace theme throughout the piece. Also, my hair is dark, but not black and definitely does not shine blue (though it did once as a result of a bad at-home dye experience!)

I have started a similar piece – though only 12”x16” – and should be ready to post it sometime next week.

"Coming Clean" - Done!

Here is the finished piece! I ended up adding more warm tones to counteract some of the strong bluish-purples on the lower portion of the hand, but the reflections are still cool overall. I also smoothed out the texture in some areas, and added water dripping from the fingers. This was a fun piece for me - I really enjoyed all of the detail in the hands with the veins and water droplets. It's amazing how many colors go into skin other than just the typical peach, tan, and brown!

Hands Progress 8

Now that I've done some work on the fingers below the hand, I think that the cool tones on the hand are appropriate. I may still add some brown to tone down some of the blue tones, but in general I think it looks realistic, along with the cool reflections on the fingers. Next I will work on the water dripping from the hands. After that, I will evaluate the piece as a whole, make finishing touches, and then it will be ready to be photographed and added to my Hands Collection.

Hands Progress 7

As I mentioned yesterday, I am adding cooler tones on the bottom of the hand, which are reflections coming up from the water below. Here you can see the cooler tones, which look unusually bluish-purple next to the unfinished fingers. I will move on to working on the fingers next so that I can evaluate the colors in context, and then I might adjust the tones a bit.

Hands Progress 6

Today's update on my latest Hands piece shows some my progress on some of the darker shadows. The light is coming from above in this piece, and also is coming in from a window, which is why the highlights are cast with a bluish tone. The shadows, on the other hand, are warmer. When I reach the bottom edges of the hands and fingers, I will add cool reflections coming from the water below.

Hands Progress 5

Well I did end up making some progress today, mostly because I have so much free time being unable to do much at all with this injury! I've worked on the water spilling over the hand, and also the top portion of the right hand a bit. Sometimes when drawing hands I force myself to move on to another section because I can get carried away with the detail in the texture of the skin!

Hands Progress 4

Well, here's a small update - I'm starting to work on the thumbs and water stream. It will be slow-going for the next few days though, because I have an ankle injury that requires rest and elevating my leg, which makes it very difficult to work on art. I hope to be back in full force after the 4th of July though, so stayed tuned!

Hands Progress 3

And now the fun begins! I've started using colored pencils in the wrist area toward the top left-hand corner. As I mentioned earlier, I want the skin to look more realistic, so the tones are significantly subdued from the neocolor painting shown in the previous entry.

As a side note, my hands and wrists do look pretty veiny in warm weather, but I also like to magnify the intensity of the veins and skin texture in my hands artwork.

My Next Hands Piece

I'm starting another Hands piece, based on some photos that I set up and shot of my own hands. I am doing this piece on another type of Rtistx panel, the 420 series, which is designed for watercolor. I am going to do an underpainting using Neocolor II watersoluble pastel crayons, and then go over the piece with colored pencil. In the first progress photo shown here, you can see my initial sketch and I have applied neocolor pastels to the entire piece, using white and light blue for the background. In the second photo, I have applied water to the piece, letting the colors blend together. I am not worrying about detail at this point, as I will be covering much of the piece with colored pencil. The bright colors will also be significantly subdued, once the pencil is added.

Rtistx 280 Panel

I just finished a piece on another type of Rtistx panel - RTX 280 Portrait Smooth. I completed the piece shown here with 100% wax-based colored pencils, but I would like to try using neocolor water soluble pastel crayons on this surface as well. Like the RTX 300, this panel is thick and yet surprisingly lightweight. However, RTX 280 has a sanded surface more like Wallis pastel paper. I prefer this support to Wallis because the thickness of the panel prevents warping, and the sanded surface seems a bit finer.

Portrait on Rtistx Panel

I recently finished the 12”x9” portrait shown here on RTX 300 Colored Pencil Panel. This was my first time working on this surface, and I found several things that I like about it. Like Pastelbord, this acid-free panel is thick and durable, though lighter in weight. The tooth is finer than that of Pastelbord, but courser than the smooth Bristol board that I have used. I found this to be a nice compromise, as it is conducive to detail work, yet allows me to work quickly without streaking and also accepts several layers of colored pencil. Also, I was able to layer lights over darks, though to a slightly lesser degree than on Pastelbord. Overall, I am very excited about this new type of surface, and eager to try the other Rtistx products