How to Draw a Portrait from a 3/4 view

Have you ever so someone wearing some particular accessory that captured your eye?  As a artist you have the ability to recreate what you see that inspires you.  When it comes to doing or creating a portrait whether it is a drawing or painting you have the artistic license to emphasis what is important in you art work.  As seen here in the picture above that is what was done. 

In the blog post I would like to share with you how I created this drawing with the purpose bring into focus the hair bow.  

Here is my process into making the portrait drawing.

I decided to create this portrait drawing from a 3/4 view.  In this first step I created a three dimensional line drawing as seen here below.

I started out using vine charcoal and I toned my paper down by using the side of it. Next, I proceeded by plot marking my paper for the most distant width and height points which is not seen on the picture above.
I placed in the features of the face by establishing the proportions with only lines.  Then I went into more detail by rounding or curving the lines to make the eyes nose and lips as seen above.




For the second step I created a value drawing of the portrait.

Here in the picture above I have shaded in the neck and established the garment on the shoulder.  By doing this I have made the drawing to start appearing more three dimensional.  I am drawing from my easel which helps me to not have distortions in my view.  The lighting was poor at the time when this drawing was first started. Since then I have increased the light in my studio.



For the third step I completely finished the charcoal drawing.

In this step I completely laid in all of the features of the portrait and value ranges.  Now the foundation has be establish to introduce color to the hair bow.



This next and final step color is added to the drawing.

I introduced color to the drawing in order for the eye of the viewer to focus on the hair bow.  I choose this color scheme because it is rare to see green and yellow in clothing.  In order for me to accomplish this I used prismacolor pencil which is a wax pigment to it.  I did not use any solvents in the particular drawing but in others I have.  This solvents help break down the wax therefore making it easy to blend and cover completely the tooth of the paper.  It is better to purchase paper that has  tooth to it, in other words, paper that has texture to it.  This will support the extra media added to it.  It is good to purchase papers that are thick and supportive of fluid added to it for example mix media paper and watercolor paper.

Bow & Beauty done on Strathmore drawing paper 14"×17" in charcoal, color pencil and soft pastel.

This is the final look to the drawing.  You can now see the ear rings are added to it.  This draw was originally stored back in 2015 and was completed this year in 2020.  If you are interest in more post of the drawing I produce then please visit my YouTube channel under Dee Weaver Art there you will find over 50 videos.  Also visit my online gallery at www.fineartamerica.com and www.artpal.com there you can fine to purchase at your choosing.  Also you can email me at deeweaver15@gmail.com  Thank you for visiting my blog be blessed.

How to Paint a Cloud above Clouds in Acrylic

Clouds are very beautiful to me.  I really enjoy looking at them espeically during twilight or earily evening.  They then to take on a more remarkable beauty of colors.  For example, lavender, pink, orange, yellow just to name a few.  In this art blog I want to discuss my approach at painting a clouds above clouds. 

 
The first step is to do a thumbnail drawing of what you plan on painting.  After a very small thumbnail is completed with its over all values of at least 4 then it is time to move forward to doing an underpainting from the thumbnail drawing. 

Here as you can see from the photo above is the underpainting of a cloud.  An underpainting is done in a monochromatic color scheme like the one above in the photo.  For this underpainting I used yellow ochre to place down my composition and values.  I also used a #2 bright brush to apply the paint.

Next I added color to the underpainting.  For the darkest values of color I mixed in phthalocyanine blue, permanent red and a little amount of gray.  For the middle value tone of color I mixed in medium yellow, yellow ochre and orange.  Now for the highest value for the clouds I mixed medium yellow, titanium white and a very small amount of yellow ochre. 

I used the same brush from my underpainting a #2 bright brush which has short bristles unlike a flat brush which has longer bristles.  I mixed in two values of blue for the sky to give it a more atmospheric depth of illusion.  For this final mix, I used for the darker value of blue titanium white with a very small amount of sky blue. 

Finally,  I mixed in for the lightest value of sky with titanium white, a small amount of sky blue and a trace of yellow ochre.  Like orange and red to name a few colors they are very saturated and can easily dominate or take over the color value and intesity.  The technique I used is that I used the tip and side of the bright brush to paint in my clouds.  Last for painting in the sky I used a #8 filbert brush. 

I hope this process post on painting a cloud above clouds in acrylic has been helpful and inspiring.  If you are pleased with this post feel free to comment below and perhaps share with me your approach or your personally feelings about this post.  Thank you very much.










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How to Paint and Set up a Still Life Part 1

"Ceramic Container with Egg" 10cm x 10cm in Acrylic ©  DWeaverArt

It has been a little while since I've done a still life painting from from life.  Like all of my painting I enjoy the process from inspiration to the complete creation.  This is no different however, to be open with you while working on this still life painting I was a little bit disappointed in the process because I was being a little impatient and I came very close to throwing in the towel figuretively speaking.  I had never done a realistic painting this small and during the process it was not looking like I wanted it to be.  My experience as a painter help me to remember every time I do a painting during it's process it never looks like what I expect it to be.  As you can see it turned out very good.  

Here is how I accomplished this painting.  I used a cardboard box. Then I used a box cutter to cut the top flap and side of the box.  I used some fabric gray and black to creation a back drop.  Finally, I used my drawing lamp which bends and pivots to provide a light source.

All of my realistic painting I start out with a brown undertone painting.  In this process I want to establish the very dark tones and middle values which provided a guideline for the paint intensity. Intensity takes a look at how bright or dull a color is. I used a liner bush and a flat brush.  Thank you for taking the view my art blog.  I truly appreciate it.  If you are interested in purchasing this painting then please email me at deeweaver15gmail.com 

Charcoal Portrait Process on Gray Tone Paper

I wanted to do a blog on the process of me doing a charcoal portrait.  So I decided to draw a 3/4 view of a bearded man.  Before I started this drawing, I took a picture of the supplies.  In this picture starting at the top left hand side I used vine charcoal sticks, paper stump, generals black charcoal pencil, generals white charcoal pencil, Generals 4H, 2H, HB graphite Master's Touch 1.5 hog hair soft flat brush, ( I used to blend and brush off charcoal dust) chamois cloth, knead eraser and 18" metal ruler.

Step 1
 I used vine charcoal and 4H generals graphite pencil.  I started out with a horizontal line to establish the overall with.  Next I drew a vertical line in order to establish the overall height.  The lines intercept to form a axis.

Step 2
I'm only using vine charcoal now.  I drew out the horizontal dimensions for the hair line, brow line, nose line, and chin line.

 Step 3
I drew out the contour of the head without a curve line using vine charcoal.

Step 4
I used the metal ruler to draw out the angles.   I drew out the ear contour, hair line contour, beard contour and established the proportions and angle of the feature of the face.  Also I used vertical lines or plumb lines to show the proportions of the widths of eye socket.  You can start to see the planes beginning to form.

Step 5
I used the metal ruler to establish angle lines and plumb lines.  I did this to confirm the proportions of the eye width and width of the mouth.  If you notice I still have not used a curved line.

Step 6
I begin to slightly shade in the planes of the face using the generals 2H graphite pencil to shade in the side planes of the head nose.  I also used it to shade in the bottom plane of the eye socket the planes of the lips. At this stage there is minimum of tones only two.

Step 7
I continue to use vine charcoal and I begin to use my HB generals graphite pencil on and around the eyes.
I used chamois cloth to erase the angle lines.

Step 8
I continue to use vine charcoal and I darkened the value using a blending stump to push the charcoal into the tooth of the paper.  I also used the vine charcoal to create texture for the beard and develop the volume of hair.

Step 9
I also use the vine charcoal to develop the texture of the hair.  As you can see I used it to add more value to the neck.  I went on to add white charcoal to establish the highlights and 4B charcoal pencil for the beard and hair.

                       "The Bearded Man" done in graphite and charcoal on gray tone paper. © DWeaver Art                    

Charcoal and Graphite Thumbnail Landscape

You may wonder what is a thumbnail drawing.  A thumbnail drawing is a small scale drawing that is done very quickly to place down the general features of a subject.
I like to use thumbnail drawings to have a idea as how it may look as a whole on a small scale.

Thumbnail drawings are very resourceful in the fact that you can refer back to the ideas you intended to capture or focus on.  Also thumbnail drawings help you save on the cost of materials you use because that are small.  By doing a thumbnail drawing you will have basically your blueprint for what your goal of your painting or drawing will look like.

Materials Needed

4B Charcoal Pencil

Blending Stump

Knead Eraser

Willow (Vine) Charcoal Stick

Gray and White soft pastel chalk

H, 2B Graphite Pencils

Ruler

Use a ruler to crop off your thumbnail 3"x4" inches.  

Next draw out your 6 range value scale with a ruler and an H graphite pencil.  

Then divide it into 6 squares. You will fill out each value scale using your 4B charcoal pencil, willow charcoal stick, gray soft pastel chalk, and white soft pastel chalk using your blending stump.  The darkest values with charcoal pencil 4B.  

The next value going from left to right you will use a willow charcoal stick then blend into paper with blending stump.  

Next use the same willow charcoal stick but this time use less pressure with just a few hatch mark and blend marks in to paper using you paper stump blender.

Next use your gray soft pastel and blend it into paper with stump.

Next use gray soft pastel and white soft pastel chalk.  Shade it using a hatch method into the paper and blend using blending stump. Also if necessary if range looks too dark from previous range, use your knead eraser to lighten the value up.

The last value scale use just a little press and a few marks using your gray pastel.  Complete the light range of value using the white charcoal applying heavy pressure and DON'T blend.

Finally, use your gray soft pastel chalk using the side of it to push into the paper to give it a gray tone.

Use your 2B graphite pencil and produce your line drawing of you landscape.

Complete your thumbnail drawing referring to your 6 range value scale at the bottom of your thumbnail. Block in the negative shapes of your darkest values first from the foreground.  Progress to get lighter values as you proceed to the background.

I hope this blog on why I use and produce my thumbnail drawings have helped you.

Thank you all for taking the time to view my blog. 

Still Life Painting in Acylic

 Apple and Pitcher Still Life Painting

  

One Sunday afternoon this past summer I set up this still life of a apple and pitcher.  I had the purpose in mind to start do a painting of a still life.  I had been doing a few drawing of still lifes but this time I wanted to paint one instead.  When I set up most of my still lifes I use a dark back ground. I love the use of values and tones with the use of reflected light on the subjects.

Step 1 The Underpainting 

For the first step I began with a underpainting in a water down acrylic brown with a filbert brush.

I normally began with a drawing but in the case I chose not to. When I start my realistic paintings I use a filbert brush.  I just lay in the dark tones and block in the lighter values with a more watered down brown color.

Step 2 Adding Color 

Next I added color to the subject in the picture, this happened after I mixed the desired colors that were needed.  When I darken my colors I use blue or brown and sometimes I use black.  In this case, I took acylic red and darkened the tone with some blue.  When it came time for me to lighten the color I just used white.

Adding Color Continues

I repeated the same process with the blue sheet in the fact that I lighten with white and darkened it with black or brown.  I was still using the filbert brush during this stage of the painting.  However when it was time for me to paint the edges I used a flat brush and a liner brush to create a straight edge.

Finished Work

Abstract Landscape Paintings

Distant Mountain

I wanted to create a landscape abstract seen with a unique color scheme.  Distant Mountain was a painting I created to show depth or distant using atmosphere value.  In other words, the further away something is in a landscape the lighter the value of it's color.  This painting was done in 2014 in September.  I used acrylic paint to produce this painting. My brushes was liner and filbert. I usually use a sponge when I make landscape paintings however this time I did not. The painting is 5 x 7 inches

Pink Vegetation

Here is another abstract painting produced on the same day but with a different color scheme.  If you notice the composition is different as well. In this painting I introduced a trail or a path.  This painting was produced in acrylic as well.  I used a liner brush, round brush, and filbert brush. Finally, the sky background I wanted to capture the transition of sky tones.  This painting is 5 x 7 inches.

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