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Secrets Well this turned out to be a very interesting experiment.  When I got interested in doing the mixed media portraits I found that in the journaling community many folks had been incorporating figure collages into their work.  One of the reasons why is they used this method is that didn't actually draw/paint portraits, but wanted figures or faces in their work.  Also by painting over the magazine image you get another image and I guess the rule is that if more than 40% of the picture or image was changed, then you are not plagiarizing their photo, work or ideas. For someone beginning to paint portraits it is a good way to learn about shading the face, painting over a photo.  Especially in black/white, you really see the light and darks on the facial planes.  So this started out as a black/white photo in an ad from one of my junk magazines, on a bit thicker paper. I put on the abstract background with acrylic using stencils (adding paint onto paper through the sten

Her Highness   I just absolutely loved the expression on this lady and knew I wanted to try to capture her elegance and serenity.  I knew that I didn't want an exact portrait and decided to try another mixed media piece.    I added blobs of paint and used my large scraper to make the areas of color.  Just put paint on a piece of watercolor paper.  Then I inscribed and mixed the colors together with the end of my brush and got all the wavy lines (in real life they actually stand up so there is a 3D effect to the background).  Where I thought I wanted the face I really scraped most of the paint off, and ended up with color blotches and tones, and if you look in the forehead you can sort of see the design that was left.  I thought it would add some variance to the skin tones. I also want to keep her very soft so I tried to stay in the pastel tones, even with the lips.   Once I got shadows and lights added in, and went over it with some skin tone and more blue colors I let

Bold Ok, for today's portrait I went out of the box and decided to try a different look and approach. This is on watercolor paper, I applied a layer of paper collate over it (you can see that some of it started lifting - so got to use more medium to glue it next time)  Anyway then I tried to leave part of that under collage showing, even in the face.  Went back in and applied several more light lawyers of transparent and opaque paint and then put in the hair using my dagger bus.   Gosh that brush makes hair so much easier While this might not the best example what are your thoughts to taking portraits this more dynamic direction? Thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

Freckles I am calling this one Freckles, although I am sure she wouldn't like the title.  I still working on values so tried this second lesson from Kara Bullocks, whose Lets Face It course I am going to take in 2019.  Been having lots of issues with the wifi here, so not sure how long it is going to last this time.  I think it is because they are cutting into the lines adding all these new houses the developments are throwing up.   Grrrrr!!   Anyway I started this one with a picture where I drew lines, angles and a square.   It really very quickly sold me where things were in relation to each other, helped to judge the side depths and the chin lines.   Think this is definitely going to be the way to go.  Only issues is the wifi going off and on and also my preview wants to freeze up, so got to try to figure out what is going on with that.   Think if it continues I might have to go to the Best Buy and see if I can get a geek to see what is going on.  I can't get wif

Well I measured, puttered and played and debated posting this.  But here you get the good, bad, ugly and happy accidents.   I am sure you all were wondering what the heck I was doing with the background, so thought at least I would show you that.  Even though this isn't my best ever effort I learned a great deal and this turned into a happy accident.   Thank you so much Helen, for reenforcing me to consider what I already own.  There is actually so much built into this computer that I have no idea about, well... will definitely gave to get that tutorial out and find out what else I have been missing. I now can say that I have learned more about measuring and can do so on the computer, generating lines, angles, squares, circles, etc.  all of which faces are comprised of.  Going to take a bit more learning and practice but will incorporate it into my future faces.   While I want to get "a likeness" I still want it to say something about the person. I am definit

Miss Lulu study WIP At the Start Reference Well this is always where I get hung up, so am asking for help here. But, first, I have to say that I am used to a world that over promises and under delivers.  I did sign up for my 2019 Lets Face It course and felt I got a really great deal for 50 weeks worth of studies.  But within 3 days after doing signing up, not only have I gotten a coupon for 30% off another course, I have also received two free lessons.  I think that is pretty incredible.    One of the lessons is on value, this is a lesson over 5 videos.   Kara talks about her process where she uses Stabillo black pencil and white gesso and creates a black and white study.  She works back and forth between the two modeling the face to build up layers of value.  At the end she uses black and titanium acrylic to final notes.   She also incorporates CP, pastel, collage, etc. into her work. Just an aside, the left of the paper is a collaged napkin

Masterson's Sta Wet Palette Well alas, I guess it is about time.   I have had my Masterson's Sta-Wet palette for over twenty years now and it is beginning to crack around the edges, meaning that it really isn't going to continue to seal when closed in the very near future.  I am looking at new palettes, and yes am seriously thinking of getting yet another Masterson's palette.  Why, you might ask? As you know I work a lot with acrylics, and now that I am going more into mixed media pieces, I will continue to use the acrylics as my foundation.  I found several years ago a tip from Jerry Yarnell, on PBS television on how to set this palette up specifically for acrylics, gives continuing moisture to the paint and EZ clean up. How: 1)  Change out the paper palette sheets with a piece of glass, I usually put a piece of white paper towel underneath the glass, so I continue to have a white surface (for a while) to compare colors to.  2)  Then I take a paper towe

The Sorceress I hadn't been tempted to do anything Halloweenish over the years until I saw The Art Sherpa do David Bowie as the character he portrayed in the movie Labyrinth.  It made me decide to attempt another portrait and do it in a non-realistic way, certainly these aren't normal skin tones.   Since it has been a while since I have done a portrait, I decided to do this as a warm up because I also have decided to do a portrait online course for 2019, called Lets Face It, by Kara Bullock.  I actually learned about it during the challenge when a couple of artists were discussing courses that they took.  I haven't taken courses or workshops, so I decided to treat myself and I found the cost was very reasonable.   What I find most intriguing about it is that this course is a 50 week course and is taught by 24 different artists in modules of several weeks working in all the different medias.  Since a lot of the instructors work with mixed media I felt that was a perfe

Cantilever Well the challenge is over now, but I can't get past all the abstract things floating in my mind.  Who knew I could abstracts, and some came out pretty well.  Yesterday I just finished a fill the crack/match the stain project on my porch floor and had paint left over, so of course rather than waste it I had to put it on a piece of paper.  Once that was down then I had to add a few more colors and before you know it.....   Tried a different thing with adding the brush work to the palette knife. The name of this piece, Cantilever, is probably more about the composition type than an actual cantilever, but I couldn't come up with another title at the moment.  So you go with what you got.  Yep this is my homemade mat, the paper I used was the middle I cut out, but again it comes in pretty handy to make it look a little more polished for the pic. Thanks for all the support of people just looking, but got to say that my buds are the best besties.  You guys rock w