WIP 4 and 5 (final)

Here are the last two pictures of the portrait WIP I've been sharing. I used mixes of alizarin crimson, cobalt blue, burnt sienna and burnt umber to model the face. the beard is paynes gray, winsor blue and burnt umber. I lifted paint in areas where I wanted it to be light gray.

Portrait WIP 2

I worked some more on this portrait that I am doing. This part is a little tricky and requires some thought and having paint ready, but I think I've pulled it off and the rest of it should be smooth sailing (I hope).

Painter's helper

I just posted this on the Daily Watercolor blog that I'm a part of. Yesterday they had a theme of favorite things. One of my favorite subjects to paint is children. This is Elise, one of my regular "models". She wanted to paint with me one afternoon so I gave her my paintbrush and grabbed my camera.

Pay It Forward

Ok, here's another blog thingy that someone started but it will be fun for all who respond. I recently came across this pay it forward idea on Peter Yesis' blog. He is an oil painter involved in the daily painter's movement and though we haven't met in person, I have been emailing him because he is going to be a guest speaker at the Bellevue Artists Association's next meeting.

So here goes, the first three people who make a comment here by April 30, 2008 and email me their mailing addresses (don't worry I won't give it out) will receive an original watercolor trading card (2.5 x 3.5) from me. The catch is that you have to "pay it forward" by doing the same on your blog.

Good luck!

Portrait WIP 1st step

I'm working on a portrait commission for a friend and thought I'd make it a WIP. This is a watercolor on 140# cold press. It measures 6 x 4 inches. I spent some time on the drawing and then I traced it on tracing paper and transferred it onto my watercolor paper. I used masking tape to tape the paper down to a piece of foamcore. Since it's small, it won't buckle when taped like this. I mixed alizarin crimson and new gamboge and painted this wash over the face being careful around the glasses. Then I mixed winsor blue and alizarin and painted in the dark background.

Singing in the Rain

This is an original small work of art (OSWOA) inspired by my niece. OSWOA's are small pieces of art that are 4 x 6 inches.

Click here to bid.