Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Portrait of a Princess


I feel like I haven't been here for a while. I spent the weekend cleaning out the garage, emptying out the room to be the studio, and redistributing items around the house. I actually set up my new studio and used it the last couple of days!

BUT thinking it would take me a while to schedule a carpenter to fix the water damaged ceiling I set it up only to have had to disassemble it today so the ceiling could be fixed! & while the room is completely empty I will also be fixing the walls in there this week and putting down a laminate floor which will match the adjoining room.

So as quick as I gained the new studio, just as quick I lost it, but I should have it back by the end of the week.

In the two days I had it though it was wonderful. To be able to not have to pack up my art supplies so the family could eat at the kitchen table (or making the family eat at the couch on snack tables) is such a relief! I managed to do my other daughter's portrait in there. I think it pretty much sums up the phase she is in right now. I'm still refining the drawingbut it is almost finished.

8 comments:

S.G. Chipman said...

Wonderful portrait!

I know exactly where you're coming from with having your own space to work in - when we moved in September, I too graduated from the kitchen table to an actual studio.

The freedom to leave my pencils scattered about my work area for as long as I like is pretty awesome. :)

Unknown said...

She is adorable and the painting is beautiful. I love the pinks, especially in her cheeks. Another great one, Nicole.
It is wonderful to have a studio to just close the door on. It's also great to open the door to your own special space. Mine is a converted garage, done by my son and friends just for me.
Now that you can spread out are you going to work larger?

Casey Klahn said...

Hard to handle pinks. Good job!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful!
Congratulations on your new studio, too!

Anonymous said...

you s hould post a wip on how to do portraits
this one is stunning
love the eyes
i would love to know what colors you use
do you start with lights or darks..do you lightly color...burnish?

Unknown said...

Great studio SG!! It felt so good for the 2 days I had it. I am getting so excited as the space is getting fixed up too!

Ooh a converted garage Deb! That sounds fabulous! I finally have an official measurement of my space - 8' x 12.' Good thing I am a colored pencil artist!

Thanks Casey - I am so glad you said that as I was surprised how challenging they were. She was wearing a BIG bright pink dress which reflected the color back up on her cheeks and I was worried it would seem odd without seeing the dress much.

Thanks Denise!

Anonymous - gosh... its kind of a new technique I'm using as this is a new paper. Fisher 400. & all papers react differently. I'm working more like a pastel artist would,. I'm laying in the pencil roughly (usually with lines) laying in the colors i want to make up an area side by side. The effect looks kind of rough like a post impressionist painting maybe. Then I blend with my finger or with pencils and refine. Maybe I'll do a wip someday on portraits.

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, PLEASE !

Sue Seibert said...

Question: what paper do you use for colored pencil and what color paper did you use for this super portrait?