Artist Inspired Portrait Ideas to Play With

I found another blogger who had been doing self portraits for a year. http://myrnawacknov.blogspot.com/   She has explored and posted so many ideas. I shared a few of them with my adult watercolor class as  example on how to expand the use of materials and just have fun and play. My demonstration stayed pretty close to the example, but my students went over the top with the process. All of them made the project their own and I have to say, I am happy and just a little jealous of what they did.

quarter sheet watercolor paper, tissue paper, watercolor and black marker

Here is the link to one of my students whose project I just love.

http://easilyamusedstudio.blogspot.com/2011/02/self-portrait-watercolor-collage-and.html

and another link to one of my pastel self portraits

http://mklart.blogspot.com/2011/05/self-portrait-in-red.html

Bal Masque

This is a quick watercolor painting (12x20 inches) that I did last year for a local show. I did not enter it because it is not my usual style. It is really loose. I took another look at it this year and I guess it grew on me. Kind of fun, so I entered it this year.

The inspiration is from a photo that was taken from the annual Kokoon club, Bal Masque which was the ticket to get if you were in Cleveland about 80 years ago. 

portrait session, Maria Kovalenko Leysens

We had an enjoyable time at our portrait session today.

 Great model with great stories to share.

Pastel on sanded paper

 Just about an hour and one half of work time.

I am pretty comfortable with faces now. 

We will be starting sessions with costumed figures.

I plan to focus on creating a painting 

and not just a study.

Can't wait!

Poinsettia class

Every year I teach a watercolor class on poinsettias. We usually go to Quality Gardens on rt 228 because the green house is so beautiful and they have a wonderful selection. This year we decided to shop for our poinsettias there and paint in the studio. It was nice, but not the same as being in a humid greenhouse, surrounded by greenery... I may have to go just for myself. This is my demonstration on quarter sheet watercolor paper.

Portrait Session

I only had just over an hour of work time on this today.

Kind of had to "go with my gut" and just work on instinct.

I have to say it was fun. 

16x20 on a new pastel surface that I made using 

mat board, gesso and ground.

Not as much tooth as I would like 

but I will make more since the price is right.

Fall Colors Painting Demo

I spent a weekend with friends at a cabin about a month ago.

  The colors, photos, weather and friendship were perfect that weekend. 

I used one of the photos to do this 9x12 inch watercolor 

as a demonstration for my watercolor students. 

We talked about the layers of a painting and how to show direction and depth. 

It is good to identify the layers in a busy image so that you can paint with a plan.

The color was fun too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Portrait Session

A wonderful portrait session yesterday.

 I have a ton of pastels and I take them, all of them, 

when I go to these model sessions.  

I don't need them all. (You knew that.)

So, I forced myself to use only a small selection of color for this one.

Painting was easier, not confusing or overwhelming,

 and I like what happened.

Pastel, 18 x 22 inch sanded paper.

Workshop Day Two

I can't say enough about how much I got out of the workshop.

 Anatomy is so important.

So is observation, angles, planes...

And a good pair of bifocals. 

(Will be making appointment this week.)

Also having your materials organized and prepared.

I dropped my pastels, that were in pizza boxes, in foam sections, 

(which work really well in my studio, not for travel), 

and they got mixed up.

(Will be looking into a new storage system.)

This is my pastel on 18x24 wallis paper from day two 

of the Judy Carducci workshop. 

I needed to stop fifteen minutes before to leave 

the hands and bottom looser, or need fifteen minutes more 

work time to tighten it up some.

Another thing to learn.

Workshop

I spent the weekend at a Judy Carducci portrait workshop.

And I learned so much. 

And know I still have so much more to learn.

And what fun I will have on the journey.

She demonstrated a gorgeous value portrait on the first day.

So I chose to do the same. This is my effort.

Vine charcoal and white pastel on 18x24 inch canson paper

drawn from live model... so fun!

Dachshund

This is one that I just want to take home with me.

I enjoy painting these dog portraits. 

Each dog has as story and a personality.

Check out my Etsy shop if you would like one done of your own.

Or for a friend...

www.mklart.etsy.com