hair - info not covered in workshop

For those of you that were at my workshops... I didn't discuss the topic of rendering hair. Actually I very conveniently chose a reference photo that didn't have any hair showing! :-O

OK colors for the hair underpainting... are not the same as the flesh colors (unless they have rosy colored hair - oh my). What I do is choose colors I see in the reference and try and use one or  two or three  colors from the flesh toned underpainting palette. So maybe with a sandyblond hair - I might use burnt umber, a sandy brown color, cinnamon, and a yellow ochre. The more colors I can use from that flesh palette the better - for color harmony. 

Here's some samples below. I tried to figure out what colors I used... because I didn't have them written down.

This is an example of dark hair.. that when lit by a warm light has a lot of red tones. So I was able to use burnt umber and Pompeiian Red in the colors. To which I added a greenish brown and some soft blue highlights.

This is ummmm my hair which is that ash color. I managed to get burnt umber in there... and then made sure I used some cinnamon in some highlighted areas in the later stages.
This hair is a strawberry color so it was easy to get my underpainting colors in! I left out the Pompeiian Red in Place of an orangey-er color.
This last one has some burnt umber, cinnamon and ivory in it... but again the Pompeiian Red was replaced with a golden brown color. I think I galzed some greenish color in areas as well.

Update Shiver

This update is from yesterday... today I played secretary for my husband because he has a scratched cornea that won't heal and can't look at the computer screen. 

The hair looks a little odd right now because it is in the blocking stage. I've just chosen a couple of values to block in the major shapes and on top of those larger shapes I'll add smaller shapes and lastly details on the top. I think I'll add the details though when more of the background is in because the little flyaways will go on top of the background. 

I think you can start to understand where I am going with the major shapes/values of the overall composition at this point. She will have large shapes of darks in her hair and jacket with no details. The background will be muted and light for the most part. I figure if I put the trees etc in as big shapes I can bring the trunks up or down a value later if needed... and decide later how many details o add in as well. 

You should be able to see the hint of houses behind the trees. What I am going for is the idea that she is at the edge of the woods by her house... just like the character in the book Shiver. :-)

Click Images To Enlarge

I worked on my portrait a bit more today... but forgot my sd card at home and couldn't take a photo of it. I'll show you all tomorrow. :-)

Above are two pictures from a great gal at my Portland workshop! She did her homework and finished two of the drawings - aren't they great?! The first is a portrait on Fisher 400 paper and the second is a couple of eggs and fabric on Pastelbord. Thanks Carmel for letting me share!

here's what Carmel said: 

I finally finished my eggs from the workshop. These were truly fun to do. When I work on pastelbord I normally do an underpainting in Neocolors and blend my cp with a brush..and use complimentary colors.

The underpainting was completed with color pencils and all the blending was with the pencils. We used pure color, no complimentaries. Prismacolor and sandy color pastelbord. We shaded in the dark areas first and then the light areas and then worked on the transition between the dark and light areas. The dark areas of the eggs were shaded with dark umber. Lots of and lots of layers

We then finished off with a glaze. Although I think I missed putting the green in my glaze. I did put pale vermillion over the fabric. I really love this technique and can see using it some of my work. 
Thank you again Nicole....

More homework...I believe this was more fun than the eggs...

The portrait was done on Fisher 400gt paper. The pencils were Polychromos which I was truly excited about using. I have had a large tin of these sitting in cupboard. Now finally a support that makes these pencils shine

The paper is incredible. It takes so many layers and is very forgiving. It allows you to change and adjust your work with ease. At first I thought the skin tones were too bright however the colors blend beautifully. The skin tones are amazing with just a handful of pencils. I am very excited about this technique and the paper. I ordered 10 half sheets of Fisher paper over Christmas. So I am set. I know members of our Chapter were also excited about the paper and were placing an order. 

I can highly recommend flying Nicole to your hometown for a workshop 

Still outstanding are the shoes....maybe next weekend 

Shiver

I am finally finished with my hush hush project. OK not so hush hush because i did mention it before. Today I sent in my portrait book proposal to one publisher.... we'll see what happens!

& I am finally starting a drawing. No surprise it is a portrait. I worked a while back on a composition of a portrait in a winter scene, but I decided to use a different composition so the figure could be larger. 

I still have a long way to go, but I thought you all deserved a post!

The end result will be about 27" x 33" which will make the figure just slightly below life-size. 

Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling

Now that I'm home I'm sooo itching to start a new drawing. I have two I want to do NOW but I had to help my husband today (he ripped his cornea) and the kids have off school tomorrow. Drat. Maybe I can sneak away on Sunday to the studio. I'd rather have a cuple of things I know I am going to da at any rate instead of artists block and not knowing what to work on!

During the flight to and from Portland I read the book Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King. I seriously enjoyed it, not surprising as it is a New York Times Bestseller. The nonfiction book is a historical look at the making of the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes. Ross King also wrote Brunelleschi's Dome which I liked but not nearly as much as the Michelangelo book. I think partially because I really related to the explanations of the frescoe painting process and Michelangelo's touchy psyche! Not to mention all the anecdotes about Raphael who was painting frescoes in the Pope's chambers nearby. Ross King also ties in the relationships of Michelangelo and his family (through letters), the Pope, and other artists and apprentices. 

Another aspect I particularly liked in this book was how meticulously Ross King investigated where Michelangelo borrowed from or was insoired by when depicting the many figures on the

 ceiling. 

This is something I've had many conversations with other artists about: when is it ok to borrow and when is it borrowing too much? Michelangelo borrowed a lot from other artists (mostly ancient Greek or Roman sculptures) to create the amazing amount of poses on the ceiling. My favorite is the one he borrowed from himself... does the picture below remind you of a rather famous statue?

Michelangelo's work,  according to Ross, was something new and exciting during his day.

 Michelangelo sought to creat

e images of powerful men in writhing energetic poses. He was a bit of a phenomenon. Raphael, painting nearby in the Pope's chambers, even sought to emulate his peer and bring some of this energy into his own work. You can see the more energetic figures (than his usual) in The Expulsion of Heliodorus below. Of course it doesn't look like a Michelangelo... it looks like a Raphael inspired by Michelangelo. There is the key to the question  I asked before - when is it ok to borrow? The answer is when you truly are inspired by someone else - it is ok to borrow – but not copy. It should read as something made by you and not the other artist.

I often get inspired by someone else’s artwork, usually a pose or lighting. I start by posing my subject similarly and then let my natural instincts alter it and make it my own. 

Back from Portland!

Omygosh..... its been so long! I've been working on something I can't post and then had to get ready for and go to a workshop in Portland Oregon. Which was a blast by the way! Everyone made me feel so welcome - THANK YOU!

Here's a couple of pics and I'll be back to the drawing board soooon I promise! If anyone has any photos to share with me - please email them to me! I didn't take many. :(

Museum Glass

"Tulips" 18" x 24" framed with Museum Glass 

I made it in to the studio today and framed up the pastel portrait of my little one. I used the aged crackled gold plein aire frame which I really like. It isn't brassy looking like some other gold frames and compliments the gold tones in the portrait well.

I used spacers so I didn't have to matt the piece and ran down to the Creative Encounters frame shop (just feet from my studio) and picked up a piece of museum glass. Wow is it expensive, but it makes all the difference in the world if you need glass for artwork. In the right lighting situation you will not see a glare on this stuff, which creates the look of a painting since there is no matting. 

I'm thinking about bringing this into my daughters class tomorrow for her show and tell, since it is her day, before bringing it to the gallery. The Monadnock Fine Art Gallery gals said they liked the portrait so I thought I would see if they wanted it to display. Especially since it is almost spring and she is drawing tulips! Of course if it sold I would miss her... I guess I could just draw another! 

& here is a whole days work yesterday... value scales. Can you believe these took me ALLLL day! I won't explain what they are for... its a secret. :-)

Snow Day

Can you believe the kids have a snow day after being off all last week for Winter Break? Sigh... so I'm still not in my studio yet.

I am spending the day getting supplies ready for the Portland workshop and put together a more specialized list for everyone: 

Supply List Portland, Oregon:

On day one we will be working on Ampersand Pastelbord. I have ordered enough 5x7 boards for everyone which you can purchase from me for cost at the time of the workshop - $5. This way I can be sure noone has trouble getting this vital supply. 

The pencils I will be using on the Pastelbord are Derwent Coloursofts (as a base) and Prismacolor or Luminance on top. Please don't feel like you have to have all those brands of pencils, but since that is what I normally use I would like you to see how I usually work. I will refer to the prismacolor substitute always for a color since that is the norm for what people have. Some prismacolor colors you may want to have for our subjects are: dark green, parrot or peacock green, light aqua or deco aqua, white, black, black cherry, tuscan red, poppy, pale vermillion, cream, white, yellow ochre, pumpkin orange, dark umber. They are NOT the only pencils you might need however, so bring an assortment of other colors. If you have a full set to bring in a box - that I find is the easiest.   

I also decided to add in a little watercolor pencil underpainting and if you can get a hold of a dark red (or dark purple), red, and cream colored watercolor pencil, please bring those with as well as a 1/4" flat CHEAP watercolor brush. I will have about 10 extras of each of the colors of watercolor pencils (to borrow) since this is a late addition and I am sure some people will not be able to get them in time. My favorite brand for watercolor pencils are the Caran D'Ache Supracolor II - here they are on Jerry's online https://www.jerrysartarama.com/discount-art-supplies/Watercolor-Pencils-and-Sticks/Caran-dAche-Watercolor-Pencils-and-Crayons/Caran-dAche-Supracolor-II-Watercolor-Pencils.htm

On the second day we will be doing a simple portrait on my favorite paper for such things: Fisher 400, which Tim Fisher.  Noone will have to pay me for it. We will be using Faber Castell Polychromos, but I am bringing some for everyone to TRY and give back to me at the end of the class to have for my next workshop. You will also use a bit of your prismas on that day too. 

& of course bring a pencil sharpener you like, and some sticky tack.

See you all soon!

Nicole 

I just got some Creatacolor Aqua Monolith watercolor pencils to try.... they are very interesting with NO wood cases. http://www.dickblick.com/products/cretacolor-aqua-monolith-woodless-watercolor-pencils/ These are not for the workshop - bu as soon as I try them, I'll let you all know what I think.

& for those of you that have been bugging me to write a book or do an online workshop - I am almost finished with my book submission which includes a table of contents and one sample chapter. I just need to do some more examples for the chapter and I'll send it off... send me some good vibes and maybe it will b accepted. I won't say what the book is on exactly except for portraits in colored pencil -- with a little twist. :-)