I did a little tweaking last night and am pleased with the result. I think Benny’s parents will be very pleased with the painting, and I’m surprised that I was able to do it. Unfortunately, I’m not surprised that I’m unable to get a good picture of the portrait. Some pieces photograph beautifully, and some are just difficult to get right, even with trying to adjust the colors in photoshop.

I think it’s still a decent picture regardless, and the proof will be in the giving of the gift on Father’s Day (if Ann can wait till then after getting the painting, that is). But it’s signed and will be shipped out shortly. I hope he likes it, Ann!

Finished portrait

Well, this is the last picture before the final (mostly because 1. I’d like the client to weigh in before I call it and 2. it’s getting late-ish and I’m running out of good light). I’m actually quite please with where this has come. I’ve actually got a little bit to do, I want to change the tone of his hair a little (it turned out a bit too reddish I think), and do a little more highlighting on his eyes. But those are really minor changes. This is pretty much the finished portrait, my first ever actual portrait.

I’m pleasantly surprised to be honest, but I feel I have a LOT of learning to do. I fought with myself a lot on this painting, and I need to overcome that and stop doing it. I have a lot to learn about highlighting and shading skin, as well as how to paint skin tones in general. I also have a lot to learn about hands, proportions, fabric, hair… just about everything. But I do thank Ann for sort of forcing my hand with this one. It’s been a good thing for me, just like my first paintings that included people of any kind (all commissioned by my best friend in the world, Lisa. Well, except for the one I did for her without her knowledge. heh). I have a long way to go to get where I want to be with them, but the journey doesn’t seem quiet so scary anymore.

Almost final Baby Benny portrait.

I’ve never done a lot of scumbling before (scrumbling is when you basically when you scrub a mostly dry brush on the canvas or whatever surface). My usual method of painting wasn’t working so well with the skin, though, so I was willing to try it to see how it worked.

My goodness! I will be using it in the future with portraits and likely if I start doing any floral paintings or anywhere else that real smooth blending needs to be done.

Benny’s portrait is about finished. I’m mostly working on highlights now and finalizing little bits and details. The last part will be his hair and eyebrows. Then it’s time to sign it! Will be done tomorrow, hoping to actually be done tonight (and before anyone things ‘You could be working on it right now’, I’m waiting for paint to dry completely so I don’t screw up with the next layer. heh). Won’t be able to take another picture tonight, even if I get done, so here’s something to keep y’all happy until the finally photo.

Finalizing skin tones and working on more details.

I’ve gotten some good smoothing and tone adjustments on Benny’s face and thought I’d share it. It’s still not quite where it should be, and somehow his face has acquired a bit of a grayish tint to it, but that will get fixed hopefully tonight. I’m not entirely thrilled with his mouth and tongue, but I’m trying to work at other parts to see if it really is a problem or not. Sometimes it’s that piece’s relationship to it’s surroundings more than a problem with that piece. I’ve learned this the hard way far too many times.

So enjoy the view of this adorable little one, and I’m going back to my easel. My dear hubby has given me the night off from cooking so I’ll be here all night. No more pictures, though. I had to take this outside to get a halfway decent picture, and it’s still not quite right.

A little bit of face work.

Well, the main shirt is to my liking and now it’s been on to hands. Because of they way they’re coming (and my own impatience), I’ve also been working on his mouth as well. It’s starting to look like more than just an open expanse.

The hands will take a little bit of work and adjustments, but I think I’m on the right track with them at least. They look like chubby little baby hands for the most part, so I must not be messing it up. heh

Finished main shirt, work on hand and mouth.

As I was getting ready to do this post, I felt a little silly since there isn’t that much difference between this and the last post I made. Then I looked at the last post, and… well, yeah, there actually is.

I tend to get a little ‘tunnel vision’ when I’m painting, and don’t even realize how far I’ve come. That’s one of the reasons I take these ‘in progress’ pictures. They’re not just for y’all, they’re also for me, so I can gauge my progress in a piece, know how quickly (or slowly) I’m working on something. This helps me realize where my strengths and weaknesses are. Something that takes me longer is something I need to work on more, something I fly through I’ve mostly got.

Another good reason for the pictures is to see the piece ‘differently’. You’d be surprised how much different the painting looks in person from on screen. Yes, it is often better in person, but that’s not the only part of it. ‘On screen’ can help me see things that, for whatever reason, I don’t see just looking at the painting in front of me. Sometimes that’s good and bad. Sometimes it means something needs to be adjusted, and sometimes it helps me make a decision on a part I’m not sure is right or not. Often times it is, and I’m being overly nit picky.

So here’s the newest picture of Benny. His shirt is almost finished. Just a few minor adjustments (fixing up around the monkey), finish the long part of the sleeves and then onto the hands! Tonight will be sketching the hands and getting them blocked in as I really will have to work on the sleeve ends and the hands at about the same time.

Benny with his shirt almost finished.

Being an artist can be very frustrating at times. I had Benny’s shirt about done, finishing up some highlights and then going to put the ‘monkey’ on, and it looked odd. Turned the painting around to Jon and said “What do you think?”. He cocked his head to the side a bit, and then said “The shirt looks fantastic! But something’s wrong.” He looked for a little longer then said “His head is too big for his body.” When I turned it back around, I realized he was right, and that was what was odd. Couldn’t really see it with just the ’shirt color outline’ but once the folds started getting in there, there it was.

Consequently, I’ve spent some time making his body a little bigger, and I think I’ve got it right now. I don’t usually like to do a picture when it’s at this kind of stage (believe it or not. heh), just an ‘in between’ fix kind of thing, but I thought it would be a good thing to do. Plus, I’m in a painting groove, and I keep screwing up and ’smooshing’ the paint that isn’t quite dry, so doing this makes me let that paint dry some.

Here’s Benny with his shirt partially done and starting to get the sleeves worked in. Once I get the folds back in, the monkey applique will go on (painted on, of course), and then the hands. Oh, the hands. What was I thinking there?

With the shirt partially done.

Deepened the shadows on Benny’s face and I’m rather happy with how it’s coming. Yes, it looks a little dark at the moment, but it’s really perfect. At least it works in my mind and how my painting style works.

I’ve also added Benny’s shirt, or at least the start of it. Having a little problem with that, of course, but nothing that I can’t handle. I’ve got so many different pictures to work from, and I’m still trying to get into my head the ‘right’ one that I want. But I’m working it out as I paint, and that tends to work best for me for somethings.

So, just a quick update for now. And back to painting. I want to get the shirt mostly finished, and then back to his adorable chubby little face. :)

Working on skin shadows and his shirt.

I’ve been trying to be very delicate with the shadows here, and it hasn’t worked out for me at all. I think I’m generally being overall too delicate with this painting entirely. I get that way when I’m working on something that’s making me nervous. So, I decided to just ‘plunge in’ like I do with most thing I work on, and it seems to be doing the trick.

I also wanted to get a new picture of this up so Ann doesn’t get nervous, thinking I’m not working on it. I don’t know that this picture will make her less nervous, though, but at least it’s showing progress.

With this progress, though, I’m actually feeling much better about it. I just need to keep reminding myself of two things: acrylic paintings can be fixed, and it’s all just shapes and colors. Not always easy when I’m staring into Benny’s eyes, but I’m working at it.

Getting some shadows into the face.

Since this whole ‘human portrait’ is new to me, I’m going with my standard ‘back to front’ approach. For me, this means the eyes. It also makes poor Benny Mummy look more human.

I’ve gotten some color into his face, and have the eyes partially done. They’ll now get put to the side for the moment and tomorrow I’ll start more on shading and adjusting the skin color. Not exactly where I’ll start first, though. I’ll decide that as I’m sitting there staring at him.

Enjoy!

Benny's big blue eyes.