Sunday, March 6, 2011

Jean-Baptiste

Jean-Baptiste Maunier.
singer & actor.
Love love love his voice.

Doing this portrait helped me realize some things:
1) I'm far too dependent on lines, meaning that I'm not comfortable actually painting. I absolutely need a lineart. I think this is because I'm still used to drawing with pencils, where lines are everything... which is kind of weird because I honestly haven't drawn anything with graphite for ages. But I can't just lay down colors and create a face from there, and I really want to be able to. Maybe I'll start painting traditionally again... the art teacher at school sells cheap canvases apparently and I have a ton of paint in my garage that I haven't touched since freshman year ahaha
2) I'm really not comfortable sketching faces without cheating and using a bit of layered help... this, I think I can change by drawing more with pencils (without gridding... haha). I'm really too reliant on whatever's going to make my life easier and make the subject look more like who it's supposed to be... that's the problem with realism for me, I guess. So yeah. More drawing with graphite, charcoal, pen... whatever it takes. I should probably start drawing from life, but that's harder because of lack of people who will sit still for hours...
3) which brings me to my next weakness: speed. This was supposed to be a speedpaint (that's why it's rough). I was basically thinking of limiting myself to two hours for this portrait.... definitely took at least five or six... maybe even up to seven or eight... which is wayyyy too long... yeahhh I need more practice with that...
4) I have absolutely no idea how to draw/paint hair. None. Whatsoever. At all. One of the reasons why I mainly draw guys is because they have less hair. Seriously. Girls=long hair=no thank you. at least not until I figure out how to draw it correctly. which probably won't be anytime soon.
5) Painting in black and white/greyscale is just as hard as painting in color.
6) I'm far too reliant on the just-add-water blur tool. I need to start experimenting with opacities and wean off the blurring a bit...

Hope everyone's doing well! Thanks for following!
-S.

4 comments:

  1. aaaah this is good!
    but a little crit, yes to #6! too much blur tool makes skin look sort of too smooth and takes away a lot of texture that you get from just painting on (which is scary, but also super fun once you get past the oh god oh god mistakes noooo)
    i like it though! you're really good with eyes and the details there and eyebrows... also THE HAIR. the hair is so, so great
    (also yayyyy use your moleskinnnnnnnnneeee!!!!!!!)

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  2. yeahh I want to start experimenting with texture a bit.
    ngl, the hair is probably my least favorite part... but ahahah thanks!

    I'M HORRIBLE AND HAVEN'T STARTED DRAWING IN IT YET D: but it's going to happennnn I sweaaaar
    and I'll make sure everything in there is quality... ahahaha

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  3. ahahahahhahaa as long as it happens.. eventually! i still need to buy one too and then we should go to the mall and draw people again! heh

    except maybe we should go to a coffeeshop or a bookstore where people stay still for longer.. hahahaa because last time we didn't get that much done :P

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  4. yes yesss.
    ohh maybe we should go to barne's or something...
    or like... hm. starbucks? or I hear good things about lavender lounge, wherever that is?

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