One of our favorite models at life drawing group is Gloria, also known as Queen Nefertiti. She has a regal bearing and a striking face. I made this watercolor during a twenty-minute pose. I began with the eyes and then moved to the forehead and worked down the face from there. I used the method taught by Charles Reid: place the color with the brush, then soften it. I made sure to vary the color. It’s important, especially with a dark complexion, to add more color into the skin tones. Here I added red in some places and a touch of green in other places. Pretty happy with this portrait.
I painted this portrait of Gloria from a photo. I kept it pretty loose, using a lot of paint and water on my brush and letting the washes mingle. I left some areas white to show the highlights on the skin.
This portrait is a copy of a portrait of another model by Annette Smith. I took an online course from Annette last winter, and I admire her portraits. I was able to keep a lot of soft edges in this portrait, and I like the greens, reds and blues in the skin and hair.
Very nice. She is beautiful.
Happy Holidays! May the grace of God be upon your household throughtout the new year!
Thank you, Carol. Gloria is enjoyable to paint because she has such a strong, beautiful countenance.
Happy Holidays to you and your family, too! Blessings!
Hi Bill–It would be fun to watch you paint.
I have not gone to any art group since the Poulsbo Art League, and have not done any drawing or painting for a long time. This is partly because I don’t know any people interested in art down here. Plus my car has been in the repair shop for a couple months. They don’t know how to repair it, and now think it needs a new engine–which would cost about $12,000. That’s in a 2016 Golf with muchos miles on it.
Part of me would like to go hike with Grandma Gatewood on the Appalachian Trail (sort of ) and part of me would like to write a book 3, and part would like to go out on a sunny day and sketch close to the earth. (Since I can’t use my car, I walk to the Lilliwaup P.O. one day to check my mail, and then Hoodsport IGA the next for groceries.
Part of me would like to move to new place that feels fresh, to me.
Do you ever sketch with a pen or pencil?
Nancy
Hi Nancy! Nice to hear from you. Sorry to hear about your car. It must be very difficult to live without wheels in a place like Hood Canal.
I often go out to paint with my watercolors, but not just with pen or pencil. Your idea of going out on a sunny day to sketch “close too the earth” sounds good, though.