Portrait Marathon: Finale, stage two. Strider

I think I’m done.  I know!  I know!  I say that, and then the next day, I fiddle around some more, and THEN I’m done.  So, maybe I should just post this as an update.  The penultimate Spring Portrait Marathon post. Well, let’s back up, and I’ll tell you more about how I got to …

Portrait Marathon: Finale, stage one. Strider

That’s quite a title, huh?  Well, let’s get crackin’.  As I said in my last post, this will be my last painting in the Spring Portrait Marathon.  I’ve got a couple other projects I can’t put off anymore, so Strider gets to be the big bang at the end of the show. Here’s the reference …

Portrait Marathon: Nikki is done!

Nikki’s portrait is finished!   Lisa’s Nikki (aka Ms Hotlips) Between the last update and this one, I concentrated on building up layers of detail, deepening the shadow areas with color, and basically making all the color zones complicated as in real life.  The scans make the background colors look very different, and have washed …

Portrait Marathon: Nikki graduates from Rehab

Getting there!! After the rough start, Nikki’s portrait languished a bit while I recovered from the trauma, and did some other work.  She gazed back at me vaguely as I passed her throughout the day, patiently or not, she would not say.  Yesterday finally turned out to be her day.  The big graphics I had …

Portrait Marathon: Nikki, starting over!

*sigh*Well, do you want to hear how it went?  It went badly.  I tried.  I did.  I tried a few different things.  But, the damage was done.  The paint just wouldn’t stick.  I got so frustrated, I actually took the canvas to the sink and scrubbed it off with a scrubby sponge under warm water! …

Portrait Marathon: Nikki off to a rocky start!

Ah, poor Licky Nikki!  She doesn’t deserve to be handled like this!  It’s been a frustrating start to what should be a really fun painting of an adorable gal, but I’ve made a series of rookie technical errors that have set me back repeatedly.  Sheesh! Let’s start from the beginning.  Here’s the reference photo.  Sweet …

Portrait Marathon: Dorie DONE

Dorie’s portrait is finished! I like her Mona Lisa smile, combining with the pirate get-up for an interesting mood. Since my last post, you can see that I layered in lots of blues, not just in the bonnet, but in her face and body as well. I reclaimed the little fuzzy bit of her ear …

Portrait Marathon: Dorie in color!

Here’s where we are now.  As you can see, things have been heating up!  Her brindle patch is in, the cool blues are layering up nicely.  Touches of pink are showing in the nose and eye, and the irises of her eyes are gaining depth.  Oh, and the pirate skull has a red bandana, now. …

portrait Marathon: Dorie develops

Sorry about the slow progress in this marathon!  Other work keeps getting in there, needing to be done.  But, the marathon goes on!  For those of you keeping track, we are on Number 7, of a proposed 10 painting series, to benefit The Grey Muzzle Organization, in honor of my dear departed greyhound, Happy.   …