So I start another sketch on tracing paper so I can transfer it to watercolor paper.
I work on this a long time. Doesn’t really look like either of us, but again I don’t look too bad, so I concentrate on my sister.
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Sara’s struggles
So I have this little photo of me and my sister taken about 15 or 20 years ago.
Yes, it’s a 3 by 5 snapshot, but I like it and decide to sketch it, maybe for a color pencil or watercolor portrait .
First quick freehand sketch. Not too bad, my sister looks a little caricature-ish but I look great, maybe a little too young and fresh...
So I start another sketch on tracing paper so I can transfer it to watercolor paper.
Same sketch, after another couple of hours. Still doesn’t look like her. ( the great thing about tracing paper is you can erase many many times...)
Same sketch, many hours later and it still doesn’t look like her! I’ve probably worked on this six or eight hours! I’ve sketched it upside down, I’ve looked in the mirror, I’ve measured. The faces aren’t bad but they just don’t look like her...I think the first caricature one looks more like her than any of the others....It’s just weird how I keep missing by a mile...oh well, maybe I’ll just paint it & see what happens...
Here’s this one. Not sure if it’s finished. Not sure the dark mat works. Maybe I’ll spray paint it white.
So I start another sketch on tracing paper so I can transfer it to watercolor paper.
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I love the running commentary. It's like being in class. Seriously, it gives a real look at your intent and progression. That said, you should look again. You are an incredible sketcher and your people are much better than you think in the moment. I like the streetscape a lot. I think it may work better with a lighter mat, too, but it's beautiful as it is. Especially the tree.
ReplyDeleteI think your sister portrait is working! Maybe give it a couple of days' rest so you can see it with fresh eyes. The streetscape is lovely, full of warmth.
ReplyDeleteYeah, your drawings look seriously great. Don't worry about them any more. Go ahead and start painting. Or take a break first if need be. Your thoughts of her might be getting in the way of your seeing her, but your seeing/drawing her is really strong and effective. The landscape painting looks great too, but that brown mat is killing it. Maybe a pale gray, but better yet, a much larger mat that actually serves the painting (rather than the proposed frame!)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that as a person who knows you but not your sister, to me, your sister looks relatively unchanged throughout the series while you go through changes. When I painted those women all I had was the photo, that might have been simpler because I only had to match one thing, but I think you have to take into account what your sister and you look like in real life.
ReplyDeleteThose trees make a big difference in the painting. The street and sidewalk and even the hedge are very disciplined geometric while the trees sprawl. a little like that daffodil painting.