First Post!

As Mark mentioned this a monthly challenge we have created.  I am excited to see the development of each artist through each month and how we can push each other as artist.  I am thrilled to be a part of this, I love painting and this just gives me more of a reason to paint more.  

This month's challenge we decided to do portraits of each other, I'm painting  Mark's portrait.  Its crazy to see the painting and picture side by side, I can see the areas that need to be fixed.  This is the process though so nothing is final.  

This is the reference shot

This is the beginning of my painting, I can already tell that some areas need to be corrected as far as drawing goes.  Again not the finish so I am glad to see my mistakes this early.  I am starting out with just burnt umber and no mediums, I usually do not add so much detail this early but especially in the shadow shapes but oh well Im having fun!  

I added more tones, I am keeping the whole painting monochromatic for now and build colors on top of it.  I then added the background which has some color and flare to it, not sure if I will keep like that.

I am almost there, working more with the temperature and the fall of light.  I am softening a lot of the edges, this in turn will make all the features even and not have one jump out more than the other.  Have not touched the ear yet which is annoying me but I will get to it next.  Decided to fill in the background more and not make it distracting, I want more of the focus to be on the portrait rather than a loose background that does not mesh well with the portrait.  All right back to work, have to finish!

"Mark"

16 x 20 in

Oil on Masonite

This is the finished painting of Mark, the pic is not the greatest.  I experimented many things with this painting, and learned a lot.  From the last pic I took I have added color, I also went into the hair and added the information there.  What was frustrating about this painting was the surface it was painted on, as soon as I laid any darks down within a couple hours it would sink in which made it hard to judge the  darks to the lights.  I am learning though more about this surface and how to work with it.  The ear and and neck are unfinished as well, payed more attention to the facial area and hair.  I had lots of fun doing the hair, thats where the expressive strokes came in.  Well, we broke the ice with this challenge now on to the next!

Detail of "Mark"