Portrait Marathon: #5 Miss Star

Note to future participants:  Have your photos ready!  Keep an eye on your email if you know your turn is coming up, so I don’t have to skip over you.  😉   Miss StarAcrylic on canvas© Xan Blackburn Star’s portrait took a whole different direction than … any portrait I’ve ever done, I guess!  Why is …

Portrait Marathon: #4 Wali

WaliAcrylic on panel (Claybord), 8 x 10© Xan Blackburn Whew!  Wali’s portrait, on 8 x 10 panel, took me a little longer than the smaller 5 x 5 canvasses, but I could have been more efficient, I think.  Also, working on the very smooth panel requires a different touch, as it shows watery brush strokes …

Portrait Marathon: #3 Riley

RileyAcrylic on canvas, 5×5© Xan Blackburn  Gorgeous whippet-guy, Riley, with those smokey bedroom eyes … I’m in looooove! Riley has a brother who’s portrait I did awhile back, with a sort of flowery background.  Riley’s reference photos included one with a fallen leafy background, and I liked that, but didn’t want to get too finicky …

Sign-ups are officially closed!

I’m sure I’ve got more than enough people signed up, and I’m raring to start!  Here’s the list, in the order you signed up.  Lots of familiar names on there!  😀 (edited on 12/2 – those in italics are completed) Jamie Esquivel Laura Mahoney  Christine DeClerk Craig Bucher Leslie Glynn Tricia Goode Susan Lawrence Stefani …

Meanwhile …

SaraDigital painting (ArtRage Studio Pro)5″ x 7″© Xan Blackburn 2012 While sign-ups are going on, I still have some commissions to wrap up. These two are digital paintings, of wolfhound mixes Sara and Roscoe.  Wow!  That was FUN! (More below … ) RoscoeDigital painting (ArtRage Studio Pro)5″ x 7″© Xan Blackburn 2012 Lily and DaddyAcrylic …

Portrait Marathon: Sign up TODAY

Sign-ups are open now for the Pre-Holiday Portrait Marathon! If you missed it, here’s the run down.  For three weeks, starting Monday, Nov. 26, I’ll be busting through as many small portraits as I can get to, in the order you sign up. As I start one portrait, I’ll email the next person in line a …

Pre-Holiday Pet Portrait MARATHON

We still have time to do this, so we’re going for it! Berger Picard “Daddy”Work in progressAcrylic on panel 8″ x 10″© Xan Blackburn 2012 MONDAY, Nov. 26 – Mon., Dec 17 Just in time for holiday gifting, I’m taking three weeks after Thanksgiving to do a portrait marathon! As always, it will be first-come, first-served, …

FPM Finale: Cosmo is Complete!

Cosmo5″ x 5″ acrylic on canvas©Xan Blackburn 2012 Fall Portrait Marathon, Cosmo Done.  Cosmo’s portrait, and the Fall Portrait Marathon of 2011, both done. Cosmo’s portrait was based on a black and white photo, which has such power on its own that, given the option, I decided to stick with a monochromatic approach.    I …

FPM #10: Cosmo, still black and white

Cosmo – work in progress #55″ x 5″ acrylic on canvas©Xan Blackburn 2012 Cosmo – work in progress #65″ x 5″ acrylic on canvas©Xan Blackburn 2012  Fall Portrait Marathon, Cosmo I managed to resurrect one of my tinier brushes, which sure helped with the little hair details.  I’ve been working on building up that fur texture, …

FPM #10: Cosmo, leeeetle update

Cosmo – work in progress5″ x 5″ acrylic on canvas©Xan Blackburn 2012 Fall Portrait Marathon, Cosmo  One more little update for today. You know what?  It’s not as easy to “draw” with acrylic as it is to draw with a pencil, say.  Anyway, it’s coming along!  We’ll call this stage 2a. Have a nice Friday …