Kim Dellow over on her blog has a fun thing going called Art It Friday – Show Your Face. I discovered it while browsing some linked blog pages on Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s regular Friday post Art Journal Everyday post which she also posts regularly every Friday.
I want to get better at sketching portraits so this is a good challenge for me to take to improve that skill. Here is this week’s “face” for my post:
I don’t know why I have to always start with the hardest things and work my way backwards to the beginning of things… This is the first time I’ve attempted an upturned face and why it turned out to be a man–or at least that is what I was going for LOL–well, that is another mystery. Also, please ignore the light line toward the left of the page. That is the middle of my Moleskine that used for the drawing. The background was created as I cleaned my brushes and stencils on it as I created other journal pages over time. I love how they turn out so random and they make great back grounds for some of the portraits that I do. Such random and weird colors but it worked great for this face. Very satisfying!
I got my inspiration from Pam Carriker’s recent book Mixed Media Portraits with Pam Carriker. It is an EXCELLENT book on portrait drawing and painting. If you are looking for a good book on this subject, this would definitely be one that you would want to have in your collection.
I’m not happy with his Adam’s apple placement, but I’m not going to rag on myself too badly for my first manly portrait. I also am not ecstatic about his nose particularly or his lips. I think the lips are my biggest dislike. But there will be more opportunities to do more so onward and upward… Bring on the weekend! I’m ready! Whoohoo!!
Well done, it’s always hard to draw men – for me, anyway, and yours is good! Hugs Valerie
Thanks, Valerie! And thanks for coming by! 🙂
Oh my I hope you won’t rag on your self….My first impression was of a Yule Brenner in the King and I. Very majestic. Very Bold….Very Good… and you are just beginning to do portraits…Wow..you have a future.
Yes! Yule Brenner and majestic–I will definitely go with that! 🙂 Thanks, Wanda!
Wow! This is fantastic! I love the up-turned face and the painting technique is superb. You are very talented. The neck is great and the eyes! As soon as I clicked on it, I thought what a powerful image it is. I would keep at your portrait work. I’m no expert, but it looks to me like you have a lot to offer. xx
Thanks, Julie! Wow, you guys are such great encouragers! Thank you for stopping by and sharing such wonderful comments. My smile right now is quite huge! 🙂
Gorgeous art work. Happy Friday!
Love and hugs
Maarit
Thanks, Maarit! And a Happy Friday to you as well! 🙂
Very nice! I find men very challenging to draw or paint. http://www.lisarusso.com
Nice work for this challenge!
Thanks!
This face is so powerful and he obviously needed to join us today. I love it when art creates itself. Hugsxx
Thank you! Yep. He just showed up and showed out~ LOL!
A job very well done, love what you did!
Have a great day!
Nora
Thanks, Nora!
Very cool. I have trouble drawing men, they always turn out super girly looking. You did great job with him! And I love that you took the risk and have him looking upwards.
Thanks, Emily! He still looks pretty girly to me but he’ll do for a starter drawing. 🙂 Maybe one day I’ll figure out the mouth and nose thing and my men won’t look quite so prissy! LOL! Thanks for stopping by!
I would say you did well! Upturned or down turned can be difficult. Men are even more difficult. I end up with girly men. I like this a lot! I love underpaper for mine too.
Thank you! This weekly challenge is proving to be great experience for me. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. 🙂
You are most welcome!
Strong, powerful, thoughtful come to mind automatically when I this is fine piece of art!! Wonderful work…evokes a lot of feeling! You are way too hard on yourself… I didn’t notice any line or nose or lips until you pointed them out….I just thought he was fabulous on the whole!! Just like real life we draw attention to flaws when we talk about them… Still love it!!
Hugs Giggles
Thanks! And just like real life we tend to see more of our own flaws than others… It will be difficult but I will definitely attempt to not let my inner critic show itself so boldly. Your comments helps me to see that sometimes by doing that we can take away some of the enjoyment that others might experience had we not obstructed part of the view with our dark clouds of criticism. Thanks for reminding me and thank you for stopping by for a visit! 🙂
fabulous portrait! Happy PPF!
Wonderful Jill! He is great and I love the angle, so hard to do. I have that book too it is a great resource isn’t it?! So glad you linked it up to Show Your Face, thank you and thank you for the shout out too. Kx
Thank you for the forum–it is keeping me busy! ?
Nice work! I did not see the line either until you.mentioned it. Upturned is hard – well faces are hard period! Thanks for sharing this. I would like to check out this challenge as well as the book.