Stretching To Sketch Challenge Week 6!!

Here is my sketch of Kelly for the sketching challenge she has been hosting over at her blog Kelly Berkey Designs. If you haven't joined us already please do! Every Thursday she will post a photo of herself for everyone to sketch, paint, or whatever. I am really having a good time and learning so much!

If you remember from my sketch last week I chickened out on doing the face profile. This week when I saw the picture I cringed because I wasn't sure if I would be able to do the face. And I really wanted to try this time! Although it doesn't look like Kelly I am pleased at how the face profile came out. Boy did I have trouble with the nose at that angle. I must have done it over 5 times and gave up! And then of course there are the hands. I have kept it no secret that I have had alot of trouble with hands since the beginning of this challenge. I knew I wanted to have her holding a heart and hope it is a pleasant distraction!

Check Kelly's blog later when she will be posting all the sketches for this week. I am excited to see everyone's work!

Fun With Layering . . . A New Face

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mixed media on 11x14 wrapped canvas

Yesterday I found an unfinished painting of a winter scene done in black and white. I stopped and left it out of frustration because I didn't like where it was going. So I picked it up and decided I would paint one of my face sketches over it.

I took my folk art italian sage and squirted some right onto the canvas spreading it around to cover all the black. And then I grabbed a paper towel to blot around and remove some. I was excited when I saw the design I had created with a little of the black paint showing through. Once that dried I put my sketch on the canvas. I had some trouble as I am used to the hard canvas board especially doing the face. When my girl was done I took out the paper towel with white paint and started pressing it into the canvas. Lastly I used my fan brush to add some black birds, which my hubby thought were bats, ( I wasn't going for bats but I still like the effect they give the piece) and was really pleased with the end result.

This is the first time I have done any layering with paint. I really have no patience for it! I think because I had the old painting it just lead me into layering this piece. I don't like to wait for the paint to dry between layers so I just don't do it. How silly is that?!

Anyone else impatient when it comes to layering?

Painting Faces . . . My First Dip Into Mixed Media Waters!

A few weeks ago I signed up to take a painting faces class on All Norah's Art with Sharon Tomlinson. My first time painting a face. I have done a few sketches with colored pencil but have wanted to try my hand at painting one. I completed 2 small faces for Sharon's class on 5x5 canvas' and it also introduced me to some mixed media which I had never done before. And it painting a face was harder than I thought!

After having been so inspired by Silke Powers' art and the wonderful texture she uses as a background for her beautiful faces I wanted to try some molding paste. So I added molding paste (so fun!) to this 8x10 canvas board and then used some folk art paint for the background color. Then I added my face sketch. I hesitated when it was time to paint her face because I was afraid I would mess it up! But I tried not to do too much thinking and just let the paint lead me. I used a combination of paint and colored pencils. I used the colored pencils to outline the eyes with black which was easy to smudge and used some pencil on the brows and to shade the lips.

I love the texture! I have to say that I might be hooked on the mixed media! It gave me a sense of freedom and I felt less anxious about making mistakes! I am now trying to figure out what to add like some collage or words to dress her up a bit. And I am not sure if I am done with her hair.

Would love to hear what you think of her!