Looking better...

I used Shiva oil sticks on her and I think the 3/4 face is looking a little better. I am still on Lesson One of the Suzi videos but I need lots of practice on the 3/4 view. I think I will go and get a wig mannequin which Suzi says helps. Anything that helps, I'll do!

Practicing the 3/4

At some point I need to collage one of these girls to the wood and start to form her clothes. She doesn't look like the Tutor queens but maybe I will dress her up fancy like that on the wood---that is if it all works. Suzi does it all so well. I think I need to go back and see what Suzi did again.

Drawing a Three Quarter Face with Suzi

I have just started Suzi's new class, "Piety and Passion" and it's going to be really great and for me---kinda hard so far. I have only just done a few videos of lesson one and this is my first time drawing a 3/4 face. It was a struggle most of the way through this painting and I cropped her closer up because the hair was so bad. I need to just sit down and practice some 3/4 faces. It's like practicing calligraphy letterforms--practice practice practice and then your mind starts to get it. In the class we will be drawing Victorian women from the Tudor times and they were stoic, powder faced and regal. It will be fun attempting this. Actually this one was suppose to be a powder faced regal girl but she just turned out to be a hippie I think--with flowers in her hair.

Is she any younger?

Well, maybe she is 14 or 15 but I want age 10 or 12! Thanks for all of your suggestions as to how to draw and paint a younger girl. I tried to heed them all and I SO appreciate all of your suggestions. But I don't think she turned out young enough. I started from black which I probably should not have done to try to accomplish this but I am kinda liking starting from black. Maybe her nose is not big or wide enough. Well, I'll keep trying. This is in the Moleshine journal. Tomorrow I have a few more girls painted with different techniques...Misty's and Suzi's.

"Avatar" girl and wood thing

This is the girl from yesterday's post. In Suzi's class she tells us to put clear gesso over the pencil drawing. Finally a use for that clear gesso I bought a while back! I sanded her a bit then started coloring her with colored pencils. I wish there was a class just to draw hair! Well, I guess this is what mine would look like if it was this length with no hairspray, gel, curling iron, teasing comb....
This girl looks like she could be an earthly cousin of the girl in Avatar. Maybe the eyes a just a bit too far apart---but now I am thinking aloud. Sorry.

Below is something that I started painting on 12x 12 wood just to try out some new Sonja Joe paints. It started as just a background and developed into this. And I wanted to use my word for this year. Then...and I don't know what got into me...I got out my hand saw and wood and made this easy frame with strips of wood that have been hanging around the studio for who knows how long. You don't have to miter the edges and it's easy.

Watch for Gypsies

Well, I guess only Suzi could get me to paint fire engine red hair. That's what I love about her class, she encourages everyone to play and experiment and ...paint red hair! Ok, I can do that!