Libby’s Portrait Takes Shape

Doesn’t she have a sweet smile? She fills me with Awwwwww! The clients wanted me to make a few adjustments for the portrait, including adding her ears at half-mast, and cleaning up the tear stains below her eyes. I also opted to remove the collar hardware and her body as it extends behind her head, …

FPM Painting #5: Faye Oops!

Fall Portrait Marathon, Painting #5: Faye Oops Okay, not exactly “legal” to take a break during a marathon, but, there was Thanksgiving, and I had a sick dog (now much better, and bugging me to play with him), and then there was a lot of communications going on about some rescue dogs coming from Seoul, …

FPM #3: Skyy is done!

Fall Portrait Marathon, Painting #3: Eliza’s Skyy   Skyy5″ x 5″ acrylic on canvas©Xan Blackburn 201 Skyy threw me for some loops. With her elegantly simple coloring, and gentle gaze, should have been simple, right?  Ah, that’s always the way!  It’s the simple stuff that’s hardest to do beautifully!  But, I couldn’t look away from …

FPM Painting #2: Toni is done!

Toni – work in progress©Xan Blackburn 2011 Fall Portrait Marathon, Painting #2 Toni is all done.  I think.  It’s after 11pm, so I may change my mind in the clear light of day.  We’ll see.  Right now, I say she’s done. (See the finished version at the bottom of the post.) Toni’s portrait got started …

FPM Painting #2: Toni gets going

Fall Portrait Marathon, painting #2 “Toni,” says her mom, is a pistol!  She’s very much a tomboy girl – always wants to rough house and wrestle and play, though both these pics show her more pensive and sweet side.  She’s smart and sassy, loves squeaky toys and balls, and LOVES the water!  Her favorite color is …

FPM: Christine’s Hailey is done!

Christine’s Haileyacrylic on canvas,  5″ x 5″©Xan Blackburn 2011 Fall Portrait Marathon: First painting is complete. Christine’s pretty fawn greyhound, Hailey, was simply a joy to paint.  This is what I had in my  head while I was working, from Hailey’s mom: Hailey was diagnosed with osteo when we got back from Dewey.  She started …

FPM #1: Hailey

Hailey-work in progressacrylic on canvas, 5″ x 5″©Xan Blackburn 2011 Fall Portrait Marathon, first painting. Hailey is up first.  You saw my digital sketch in my last post.  I decided to bring some of that feel to the canvas.  Hope this works!  I used a retarder (an additive to slow down the drying time of …

Mystery portrait wraps up, and Marathon begins

I’ve been processing photos submitted for the Fall Portrait Marathon, wrapping up my big mystery commission (that ran over into Portrait Marathon time!  :rolleyes: ), communicating with the winners, and sketching up the first Fall Portrait Marathon (hereinafter referred to as FPM) painting.   Hailey-SketchDigital painting, ©Xan Blackburn 2011 I did a quicky ArtRage painting …

Mystery Portrait: Friday

Mystery Portrait, work in progress©Xan Blackburn 2011 I was working kind of slowly today.  My usual timidity, where I’m sure I’ve forgotten how to paint, and will just mess everything up if I dare to actually put visible amounts of paint on my brush. Nonetheless, I did make some progress with my underpainting. In this …

Mystery Portrait; shading begun

Mystery painting, shading begun That looks so awkward, doesn’t it?  Well, I promise it makes more sense when you can see the whole thing together. 😉 I’m beginning to glaze in the shading using Payne’s Gray to keep the shadows cool.  My intent is to keep the focus tight and high-contrast only on the faces, …