Family & Friends

Portraits of family members and close friends are, perhaps, the most difficult to execute. Each person in my circle knows exactly what they and others look like, down to a wrinkle or skin blemish. The likeness of being which I am trying to capture has got to be near perfect, otherwise the discerning eyes of my close relatives and friends will easily pick out the flaws. I am proud that I was able to get a decent likeness of being (though not a facsimile) at least going by what others tell me. After sketching out a face with charcoal--getting eye, nose, mouth positions and all proportions just right--I set out to choose the proper cooler colors for the shadow areas. Then working from dark to light, I mixed up some middle tones for the boundaries between light and shadow, and warmer color mixes for areas struck directly by light. I reworked the colors and blends until they were right. Portraits take a lot of time and concentration to create but are ultimately very satisfying once completed. Notice the trio of handsome men. The dude on the right is webmaster for this art page.