Painting a portrait in pastel is a fairly quick process if compared to other mediums such as acrylic or oil. If organized and prepared you can finish a detailed portrait like this one, titled "Twister", in a few days.
I always begin a portrait with the face, usually the forehead. This allows me to work my way down the portrait without running the risk of smudging what I have already painted. Many artists work differently. This is just my personal preference but also great if you are at all messy ;) Now I do not finish the forehead completely until I have the eyes and nose mapped out, in close to perfect placement, in my light and dark pattern. This allows for correction before I have too much pastel on the paper. Once everything is in place I move done the portrait left to right (I am right handed) to the eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, chin, neck, etc.
The ears are usually done at the same time as the hair.
I always start out with great reference. Whether it is a photo or fabrics and props, I try to have everything ready before I begin painting. "Twister began as a quick sketch that I did of a larger painting. I setup a photo shoot for the large work but decided to begin with a portrait study of my model. I shoot with a digital camera and send the images straight o Photoshop for any color correction and printing. Once I decide on which shot to focus on I will print on photo quality paper for painting reference.
The costume was my own design so I needed some starting point for color and shine. I found satin ruffled trim at the fabric store that was very close to what I sketched. A yard was all I needed to observe how the light hit the fabric and the shadows it would create.
Nice work. I wish I had the talent to paint portraits...
Posted by: dietas para adelgazar rapido | March 17, 2011 at 03:13 PM