A Need For Faces

Sometimes I crave to do a portrait

I sometimes really need to draw or paint a face. With the right lighting and the right look and pose, there can be so much said, so much emotion to translate through a medium of some sort.

Sometime in 2019, I wanted to do a Grecian statue or bust. I just needed the right lighting and look that will spark the old southpaw to get to work. After some hunting on Pinterest, I found it. The "Bust of Juliette Récamier" by Joseph Chinard. She had the curls in her hair with the porcelain smooth cheeks that would give a nice variety of lighting.

I think I had some serious overconfidence in my watercolor capabilities at this time in my life to the point where I didn't even think to pencil sketch first and than add watercolor.

I figure I might as well make it edgy or something by adding a light blue acrylic paint stroke over the eyes. It gives it something that feels like street art or something modern.

But this didn't satisfy my portrait cravings.

So if I needed to pencil sketch something for watercolor, how about go back to my tried and true, in the blue, basic pencil. I know how to shade very well with this medium and it's my go-to for any quick expression up to something more fancy like this.

I think I got her curls and cheeks to a nice shade with a lovely dimension on the fullness of face look that the bust has. I now have the itch more and more, to do another portrait again soon!

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