Day Twenty Four

All done with my painting! It looks pretty much the same as it did yesterday; all I did was add some highlights. They're most noticeable in the eyes, lips, and hair.

This is definitely not perfect, but I'm pretty satisfied with it.

Mitch should be home late tonight unless something goes wrong - I am worried because the roads are quite slick - so I should be able to have better photos soon!

UPDATE: Here's a better photo as promised! (1/25/13)
I just realized that the highlights in the hair makes it look wet. Dry hair would not be that shiny- or at least dreads wouldn't be. Silky hair maybe, but this lady's hair definitely not. Oh well, learning moment for Jessica I suppose. I've also noticed a lot of other flaws after finishing it... I won't point them out though, because there's a chance you have not noticed them, and I'd rather let you continue to think that I am so talented! Baha, kidding. Sort of.

Day Twenty Three

Almost finished the painting I started yesterday... I think I might go in with a white or light gray (grey? I've always liked grey better but I think technically it's gray in the US) acrylic paint to add some highlights. On the other hand, if I mess with it any more it may be ruined.  That happens to me way too often.

I'm not entirely pleased with this one. I used india ink, which behaves pretty much like watercolors, and I can never quite master the more watery paints. There is so much less control than with acrylics or oils. The ink/paint is always spreading somewhere you don't want it to go. Ugh. And there are a few places where I misjudged how strong the ink was and made it way too dark, and there's very little to do to fix that. It was quite frustrating!

On the plus side, I managed to make the shadows on the lower half of her face not look like a beard, which it did when I started.

I haven't worked on the rug today. I really should probably go do that, because if I skip a day I may never touch the thing again.

Day Twenty Two

I worked a little bit on the rug today, but then was so bored with it I started a painting instead. That's not finished yet either, but it was refreshing to take a break for painting/drawing.

I did a wash of ink and then added in some dark areas. I plan on adding detail to the hair by creating highlights with white acrylic paint.

The face is all done with a watercolor pencil at this point. I wanted to draw it first with something I could erase before diving in with the ink. I always regret it when I do that.

This painting is something of a step for be for a couple reasons: I almost always draw straight from a photo, or at least looking at something in real life in front of me, but this time I just drew from my mind using the rules of drawing faces and proportions that I learned in school. I did have to google faces to see how to get the shading right though. Another step for me: I don't think I've ever drawn anyone who wasn't white! Or at least not that I can remember. I'm enjoying it.

Another terrible photo.... by the time hubby's home it should be finished, and I can post a better photo then. I hate that I spent the most time putting in the shading and that part practically disappeared with the webcam picture. Grrr. 

Day Three

I'd had a bigger project planned for today, but I ended up not having time, so I made a small painting instead.

It started out as frustration - haphazardly smearing white and black acrylic paint around - then I added some color (hooray for finger painting!) and ended up with something I rather like. I painted it horizontally but I also think it might look nice vertically, I can't decide. Once I get my new etsy shop set up, I'll put it up.

It's been a long time coming for me to admit that I may actually prefer abstract art to more realistic art. At first all I wanted to do was perfect my people drawing and sculpting skills, but eventually I realized that I am such a perfectionist that drawing people stresses me out rather than being calming, not to mention taking hours and hours. More abstract painting, focusing on color or value or texture instead of trying to accurately represent a subject, is actually very therapeutic.