Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Finished! (With approval from the tour guide!)

Whew!  Finally it's over.  I made so many last minute changes.  Phil from the Australian Zoo gave me some last minute changes and I did them.  I trust Phil, as he knows Terri and he knew Steve and admired him.  Phil from the Australian Zoo is a dedicated worker now working in the capacity of tour coordinator and community fundraiser.  He writes fondly of Terri explaining she is a very beautiful woman, who is dedicated to wildlife, eats and breathes conservation and has picked up where Steve left off.  (No small feat!)

I just hope Terri likes the portrait.  My friend Mike is going to Australia at the end of July to deliver it.  Tomorrow I'm contacting Mike to get his information to share with Phil.  Yeah, it's all coming together!

Now if I could only get a picture of Terri holding it, now that would be AWESOME!  (I'm a dreamer, aren't I?)


Friday, July 19, 2013

No pictures this time...

No pictures this time.  I have had contact with the tour guide I had at the Australian Zoo, his name is Phil.  He now works more in the Animal hospital and also doing fundraising.  Since he knew Steve Irwin and knows Terri Irwin as well, I asked him for a critique and wow was I glad I did.  He has over 35 years of graphic design experience!  He told me to work on both their mouths and on Steve's eyes.  I told him I would and get back to him with the corrections by the end of the week.  He said he's not even sure Terri Irwin is in Australia right now!  (But that's okay.)

I'm also making contact with my neighbor (Mike) who will deliver it to Phil in Australia at the end of the month.   I need to have Phil and Mike make contact!  So, as soon as I get Mike's information, I will send it to Phil and from there, the men have to meet each other online and go from there!

It's all coming together and I couldn't be happier.

The bonus is now that I see how messy my art room is with my paintings all over and the pastel tray open wide, I am motivated to clean out my art room.  For those of you who are artists reading this, you know this doesn't happen often!  (It's such a daunting task.)  But after it's clean, I will feel more motivated to work.

Also at this time I am downsizing my art world.  I plan to give away, recycle and toss!  I've already given some art supplies away to former students.  I have given away pastels and pen & ink supplies.  I tossed a lot of paperwork that seems to pile up.  I've recycled old art magazines.  I'm going to stop doing watercolor and my craft of beading/jewelry making.  My jewelry making supplies will go to my Dad who is amazing at making jewelry.  (I created a monster with him loving it so much!)

Simplicity and minimalism, my two new best friends.

Monday, July 15, 2013

I think I'm done, I think I'm done!


Okay everyone!  I think I'm done.  I haven't signed it yet, but I think I'm done.  

Here's what I did since the last entry.  (That entry is below this one.)  I worked HARD on his hair.  I was so disappointed on how yellow his hair came out.  So I did some online research on how to do blonde hair in pastels.  To my surprise I forgot that you don't really use much yellow at all.  There's brown, pink, purple, ochre, and white, and a few, a very few strands of yellow.  What a difference!  

I worked on his eyes, his nose, his mouth and even the jowl line.  I even worked on some wrinkles in the fabrics.  I added more to her blouse and hair on the left to make it even on the left hand side.

Now I need my artist friends I send this to, to give more of a critique. I have until the end of the month to get it right because then it heads off to Australia with my friend Mike (who, by the way, hasn't seen it yet.)  I'm a little concerned with sending pastels halfway around the world, so you artists know how much I'll have to spray this artwork.  

My Dad who is visiting looked at it and said, "Don't touch it anymore, it's done.  You work on it more, you'll mess it up."  (But you artists know that's not true.)  So please, when I send this in an email, comments please.  My one former student gave me some good direction on his nose, and what she said was true.  (To think I haven't even turned this upside down yet...shame on me!)  

All I hope is that Terri Irwin likes it.  That's all I want.  





Here's the original photos I worked from.  





Thursday, July 11, 2013

Moving along with Steve's portrait

I use "picmonkey.com" to place the photo I took of the portrait and the original picture to help me get the portrait as close as possible.  Little nuances will make it look more and more like Steve.  For example...on the eyes, and nose.  His left eye, it should be moved over a little more to the left.  Those indents between his eyes need to be moved over a little to the left.  His left eyebrow is too pointy...you know, it's these little things that when changed will make it look more like Steve.  Onto the right eye, wow, I have it far too down, it needs to be opened more.  The nose?  Little changes will bring that along too!  I'm amazed at the deep wrinkles he had around his eyes.  



Onto his mouth area.  Lots to do on the mouth.  I do like the mole...came out just fine.  It's difficult to do men's lips without them looking like they have lipstick on!  But I made his upper lip too thick, but that's an easy change.  His one large tooth on the left needs to be even larger, easy fix though.  And that shadow on the left side of the mouth leading down to the chin, needs to follow through all around the chin.  It always amazes me  on how many changes need to be made when you compare them to the original source.  I'm pleased with the colors I've chosen for Steve.


Onto the whole portrait.  I did the hair, but I do NOT like the color at all.  I need to go back and look at more pictures of him online and also look at some videos on youtube to get the color right, I just had too much yellow!  I didn't want to make Steve's hair the same color brownish blonde Terri has.  His was lighter than hers.  I will figure it out!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Starting Steve Irwin!!!




Although I know I'm not done with Terri Irwin's portrait, I can't wait to get started on Steve Irwin!  

Since the photo I'm working from is in black and white, I have absolutely no color references for his face.  I've looked at other photos of him, watched him on his show all the time, but still, it's a guessing game whether I am getting it right.  

As you all know by now, this is just the first layer of pastels, but I'm liking the likeness of the portrait, and the colors, which for those artists who are following this, believe it or not, it was the color khaki, which is in the shirts, that I used as a base, along with the same skin tone I used on her and then I popped in a sienna color!  In pastels you normally don't want to mix more than three colors together because the outcome is normally a very muddy color, so I had to be careful of my color choices.  


I've had a few constructive comments on my posts so far and one came from a photographer friend of mine (whose mother is also an artist), and she told me on Terri to not make the wrinkles so prominent.  So last night I was on youtube watching videos of her and I am SO happy my friend brought up the mention of the wrinkles!  She meant it from a photography standpoint, to bring out the best in the person, as I'm sure she takes wrinkles out of photos when trying to sell.  (No one really likes to pay to see wrinkles, right?)  

Watching those videos and her comment blew me away with what I figured out.  I'm constructing this portrait, but, it never happened in real life!  I realized when Steve died, she didn't have as many wrinkles, and the photo I'm working from is years after his passing, it's not fair to Terri to make her appear older!  (Amazing how one comment can get you thinking!)  So, I made the proper changes and made her wrinkles less prominent.  I'm still not totally pleased with her face, (especially the mouth...but I'm determined to capture both of them), so I decided to start working on Steve.  I like what I have so far.  


Now, another comment from a former pastel student.  She was fascinated on how I arrived at the color for the khaki shirts.  Looking at his now (which isn't finished), I see I need to make her collar with more definition of lights and darks, perhaps enhance the stitching.  Also, having the actual shirt helped me realize a little tidbit to change.  The shirt is not seamed at the color, it is seamed in the front and along the back.  A simple, easy, but important change. 

Now as I look at the portrait, I'm thinking I  hope I have the sizes of the heads in proportion, but then, there's not much I can do about that now!  (I remember the tour guide telling us he was a huge man, tall with distinctive features.)  I was just going to do their faces, but now as I look at it, I may finish off their bodies and put them in a jungle type scene with leaves in the background.  I may, I haven't decided yet.  

As usual, since many of you do not have a google "blogger" account, you can comment in the email link I send you.  I appreciate comments.  They help me create a better portrait.  Please don't comment on her mouth though, or even the side of her face I still yet need to correct, as I KNOW I need to make changes there.  But gosh, I like how he's turning out already!!!  




Sunday, July 7, 2013

Terri's eye detail...



A collage of Terri's eyes.  
Allow me to explain below each step.

Of course on the left is what I have done so far.  Simply put, I have her too fat now.  (GRR...lopsided, too fat, not enough color, details, details...only to get it right!  So I continue.) 

She still looks far too harsh to me, but I'm getting there.  I started to work on her eyes more because that is the soul of a person, and she has such beautiful hazel eyes.  (Hazel eyes are fun because you can throw in so many colors, including yellows and greens!)  

From top to bottom.
Number one of three.  
The first box on the right is a collage in itself of the eyes I had and the real photo.  I knew I had a lot to do, but when I looked at this, I was a little overwhelmed with how WRONG I had the eyes.  So I got to work!  The second of the three photos on the right is the current eyes.  Closer, but not quite yet perfect, but a lot closer!  I watched the curvature of her eyes.  I need to redo her pupil, the placement isn't right. (Art is constant change...put them in, take them out, put them in, take them out, put them in...I feel like a surgeon!)  

I raised her left eyebrow.  I made the eyeliner darker, I made the curvature of her eyes darker too. 
I put in some eyelashes.  The left eye looks like it has too much brown in it now, so that's an easy change.  (Every time you make a change, something else gets messed up....hence, another correction.)

I changed the shape of the right eye, where the tear duct was.  Working so small, if you use a large pastel, you take a chance on getting that little sparkle in the right spot.  Sometimes you hit it, sometimes you don't.  

I worked on her smile a little more, and I'm getting more and more pleased with that, and I worked on her chin area too, and the shadow area of the neck.  

So much to do.  If people only knew what goes into a portrait!






Terri & Steve Irwin Portrait...right now, just Terri...



I'm getting there!  Little by little.  

I feel her face looks too harsh, and I still haven't gotten that chin right.  I also have to work more on that mouth showing less teeth. The lips need to be thinned out on top, but thickened on the bottom, especially on the right side.  I need to shape that left eye, it's not round enough.  I like the nose, except I have to extend out the nostril area.  Her skin tone is so tanned, not pink, but I need to put the pink in first as a guide, and remember, it's blood underneath which is red, it's the skin which is tanned, so I need to have both.  I am enjoying doing her hair.  I'm learning how to really have patience with it.  (Good thing because Steve's hair is a mess.  That was Steve though, I bet he could have cared less about his hair!)  

So you know, the way I get the pictures next to each other is by using www.picmonkey.com and I use the "Make a collage" part of it.  

The thing that bothers me the most about this portrait is I don't have her soft feminine side of her.  She looks harsh, but I will correct that.  It takes time.  The more I look at her face, the more I see I need to change to make it look more like her.  Seeing my progress next to the photo, allows me to get it perfect.  (Wow, do I ever have a long way to go!)

The strangest part about doing this portrait is I have his voice in my head saying that I need to do a good one of her, not him, it's her I have to impress, so do a good one of her.  As Steve would say, "Crikey!" 






Saturday, July 6, 2013

Working on Terri Irwin's portrait!


When I work on a portrait, I try to have everything that can help me.  Be it a postcard, several pictures, a shirt, I figure the more reference the better.  I am finding more and more, having a camera allows me to see mistake after mistake, but it allows me to see them, so I can correct the work and make a better portrait.  

Here is a shirt I purchased when I was at the Australian Zoo.  It allowed me to have the exact color of the shirt!  (To match it exactly with pastels is yet another feat of judgment!)  

At the Australian Zoo, Khaki is not just a color, it's an attitude.  I want to keep that saying in my mind as I paint this dual portrait.  


Here I am set up, with references, a postcard and that same exact photo of Terri in a calendar I also purchased while at the Zoo.  She is a very fit woman, muscular and thin.  


Okay, now remember, this is just the preliminary lay down of colors.  I see mistake after mistake already  but I want to focus on what I do like already.  I do like her eyes.  And the coloring, which for some reason, didn't come out as dark as it really is.  Remember, a photograph will produce greater clarity than a pastel painting.  


Still with all that in mind, I see how awkward I made the shape of her face...and I will correct that.  It's hard with the little tiger she's holding because it's hiding her face a bit.  I also see how I need to improve her mouth...mouths are always a problem for me, but I will work on it until I get it perfect. 

I think I also have her too fat on the more visible side of her face, but I think that's more that I need to define the planes of the face more and I'll have it.  On the side showing less face, I need to make it larger, but again, it's because it's hard to tell where it ends, and I want to be careful to not take too much away from Steve's face as well.  

Overall, for that first coat, with no true blending (oh, for those who follow my blog, you know how I love to blend portraits, and some of you artists, I drive crazy doing that...haha, but that's my style.)  

Lots of work to go but for now, I'm calling it a night.  




Friday, July 5, 2013

Terri and Steve Irwin's Portrait and how it came to be. Why I want to do this!

Last year I went to Australia and crossed off one of my "bucket list" items and that was to visit the Australian Zoo.  I went on their grand adventure there where I spent the day with a tour guide, was driven around in a golf cart, fed all day, saw the crock show from special seats, and petted elephants, a giant turtle who I believe was over 200 years old, fed an echidna, held a koala, touched a snake (I hated that), petted a dingo, stood next to a rhino, and walked a Bengal Tiger among other things!  (I have pictures to prove it all.)

Well, the experience really affected me to say the least, it was fun beyond compare and imagination.  During the tour, I was shown all the gifts people sent from all over the world after Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter" passed away.  So many portraits it wasn't funny.  On the shirts Steve used to wear, employees wrote their condolences saying such things as "We will miss you Steve", "Enjoy the crocs in Heaven", and so on, just very, very touching tributes.  But I looked at my husband and said, "I need to do a REAL portrait for them.  Even the tour guide who knew Steve personally told us, "None of them really captured him, nor his spirit."  So I decided I would send one to the Australian Zoo hoping Steve's widow would like it.

I wanted to really get into the mood to do this portrait, and I studied the pictures real close, but I also read her book called, "My Steve".  What a powerful, loving story of their lives.  All the struggles they had, all the joys, when their kids were conceived, the special bond they shared but most of all, the love they had for one another.  She was so open to share her personal thoughts from the day he died, where she was, how the kids reacted, and how she coped.  Such a fabulous book.

So here is the beginning of the portrait I plan to do for Terri Irwin.  Wonderfully, I have a neighbor who is Australian who is visiting his native land at the end of this month, so he said he will personally deliver it to them.  I am so blessed.

But do you think I could find a decent picture of the two of them together?  Ha!  No.  But I'm an artist, so I'm creating one.


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Here is the cover of the book.  

But I personally don't like her angle of her face and didn't think this was the most flattering picture.


So I chose a picture of Terri Irwin from a calendar I purchased in the gift shop.

This also gave me a real good idea of her complexion color!


I put the two together and voila, it's how I'm creating their portrait!


Here is a close up of the start of the portrait.  Lots of work to do, this is just the preliminary.  

It was hard enough to get them the correct sizes.  

I also have a shirt from the Australian Zoo, so I know I will capture the Khaki color perfectly.    




Wish me luck on this one...it's probably the toughest portrait I've even done!!!  

And you artist's friends of mine, I will be emailing you with help when I need it!  

Haven't blogged in nearly a month...

Life has a way of catching up with oneself and I'm not any different.  Nearly a whole month went by with no post.  I did spend one week in Chicago, so I will share some of the fabulous pictures I took while visiting the Chicago Institute of Art Museum.  What a fabulous place!

This is a painting by Frans Hals, who was a Dutch painter, 1580-1666.  This was painted in 1627 and it is called "Portrait of a Lady", it is oil on canvas.  Part of the Max and Leola Epstein collection.



The face I could really care less about, I'm concentrating on the unique collar of the day and how he painted it.  Simply amazing detail!


Here's an even closer detailed look.


But what really fascinated me was the detail on the laced cuff.  WOW!

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I will not forget the portraits of the men either!  
This painting is called "Portrait of a Gentleman" done in 1680, and it is oil on canvas by
Caspar Netscher who was also a Dutch painter!   1639-1684.
This particular painting was painted in 1680.  

When going to art school, my one professor made us concentrate on specific details which will help identify different fabrics, whether they shine or not, how they lay on the body, etc.  This is a prime example of what my professor would have us try to paint.  DETAIL to the max.  

That's a brocaded jacked, a silky vest or whatever you call he has his hand tucked into, and a lacy collar.  WOW...talk about hard work.  


Here's a little information on the painting and the artist which was hanging next to the painting.

Trained by Gerard Terborch, Caspar Netscher painted genre scenes and small-scaled portraits.  By 1662, he had settle in the Hague, the seat of the Dutch government.  There he found a ready made market for likenesses made in the style of the more grandiose portraits of Jan Mijtens and other artists catering to the court.  The  unidentified subject of this portrait wears a rich silk dressing gown as a mark of his status as a leisured gentleman.  The statue of Justice in the background and the sword and the militia roll near his right hand suggests the sitter's role in maintaining civic order.  

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So this is part of the reason I haven't blogged, nor painted, I've been enjoying learning and observing, which helps me to be a better artist.  

A different type of post for sure, not just looking at my artwork and how it progresses but what turns my eye, how I learn and absorb from other artists.  Always learning....always learning!