"Angel on my Shoulder": updates

I actually got more done than I was expecting to. Though I need to go back in and round out the one part of the chest a bit. I struggled with the folds in under the chest in the shirt but I think they actually turned out right. I'm happy with where the arm is going. Though the line that shows up makes the arm look too big, it's just an old line there is a lighter line next to it that has the arm thinner. I started filling in the background a little. I've decided that I'll at least lay in a base of black and then maybe come back over it and sketch in something lightly with white pencil.
Also I took the photo and cropped to the size of the paper this time to give a better idea the actual composition. Though I may crop in more on the left. I'm not sure I may leave it as is.

"Angel on my Shoulder" little more progress

I didn't get much done because it is horribly hot right now. I'll try to work more on it tomorrow. I also have to remember to finish the hair. I almost forgot about the right side. I'm still unsure about the angle of the shirt and some of the shading on the chest, but the neck line is rather close to the reference. Though I do think I could bring it down a little on the left. Also I want to go back in and revisit the lips I think the bottom lip looks a little too outlined.

"Angel on my Shoulder" no photos just been thinking

I've been posting my progress on WetCanvas, I've gotten a lot of feedback and one person just make a comment about hand on the glasses. He says it doesn't look like it's touching. It was a very light touch and I really didn't think it was that important. So now I started comparing the two photos, photo of the progress and reference photo. The hand's shadow is actually a good bit off, but without direct comparison it looks fine. I'm not sure if I should go back and try to fix that. Also the arm is more straight down in my drawing and it's more at an angle in the reference photo. That I think I may fix. The arm has been bothering me a lot but I couldn't quite pin point what it was. I think that angle is what is off to me. I'll work on fixing it tonight. From what I can see it won't change much of the shadowing just move over the edge lines. I think that arm being at the correct angle will be better for when I start work on the rest of the shirt.

"Angel on my Shoulder" updates

I'm still unsure of the texture in the arm, thought it is better. I'm also now unsure of the texture of the chest, it's also looking really uneven to me. Looking at the photo I just took I need to re-examine that neckline in the shirt too. The neck needs more work as well though it's looking better I think. I'm pretty happy with my progress though I would have done more tonight if it wasn't for the heat and my knee starting to hurt.

"Angel on my Shoulder": updates

I've filled in the arm though I'm not completely happy with it. I don't like the texture that I have right now, it doesn't have the same smoothness as the rest of the drawing. I also think I need to re-examine that bottom lip. I'm pretty happy with the hair I just laid in and the start I have on the neck though I'm thinking the width is still looking a bit off. Maybe the next should be thinner... I'm not sure. I'll have to work on everything tomorrow. I'd like to fix all those problems and get down into the chest tomorrow. I could be tackling the background by next week at this rate.

"Angel on my Shoulder": some updates

Again it's not much, and what I did get done needs some work, especially those teeth and that chin. I think both need to be darker. At least I have the head filled in, except for that right side of the hair. I'm still not sure what to do with the background. I'm going to check look one more place for those masks and see if I can find them. I'm not sure what I would use them for if I found them anyway.

I also created an Etsy shop today: http://jessicamckelvin.etsy.com
I have a few pieces listed for sale right now, if this goes well I'll list more later.

"Angel on my Shoulder" little more progress

The color on the photo is very off because of I still had the lamp on when I took the photo, and I just couldn't seem to correct the color in photo shop. I'm still thinking the nose looks a little crooked, and I tried to fix that one part of the hand I was unhappy with. I need to revisit the hand again that one shadow is just too dark it and it bothers me. I'll try to fix the nose when I work on it tomorrow. It might look less off when I get mouth laid in. I did get most of the hair laid in, at least the top. I'm trying to work my way down to reduce the chance of smearing. I've thought about blending with one of the paper stumps but just using both pencils over each seems to be going pretty well. I'm really afraid to use the stump because I'm happy with what I have and I'm afraid to mess it up. Though I do think some of it could use some extra blending, though that may be just me being overly picky.

"Angel on my Shoulder" Updates

I did get the hand and the rest of the white filled in on the face. I need to fix a few things with the palm, and I didn't get as much of the hair filled in as I wanted. I can work on that more tonight, hopefully. If I don't get to work on it tonight I can definitely find time tomorrow. I'm also thinking now the nose may be a little crooked, but I can fix that when I start to fill in the white there. I'm still no closer to figuring out the background than I was before. I may go looking through Grandma's old things on Tuesday for inspiration.

Angel on my Shoulder: progress

I didn't add much to the overall sketch but I started adding in the white. I like the fingers for the most part, a few darks need to be work on, but the knuckles are looking a bit wide to me. I think I need to work that out. I was playing with the idea of cropping the composition at the top to match the reference photo. I'm still at a loss for the background, but I just made the realization that I'm really happy I included my hand in this.

"Angel on my Shoulder"

I have this title in mind since I came up with the concept. I'll explain the concept and title when the piece is finished. So far I'm really happy with the progress. I think I need to to thicken the wrist and maybe lengthen the palm. The nose almost looks like I might have started a mustache under it right now because I initially made the nose too long. I was thinking the angle of the nose was wrong until I looked at this photo, I think it's actually right. Right now I'm going to use a flat black background, mostly because I'm focusing on the light of the figure and also I'm not sure what I would put in the background. The reference photo is no help, the background is just a messy room (I cleaned after I took the photo, doesn't make much sense I know). I may still do something in the background, not sure though. I've seen a lot of portrait with what seems to be just a plain wall with some sort of decorative element on it. I may try something like that.

Also I have to say I've had this general idea that for this piece that I had been struggling to find a composition for, and I got inspiration for this from Erin McCarley's "Pitter-Pat" though my concept really doesn't match up with her song just a few lines matched up with my thoughts and I came up with the idea for the pose.

New drawing started

I started my new drawing. It's not even all the glasses but it's a start. My knee is hurting from kneeling on the drawing board. Because it's a larger drawing I have to lay it on the floor. I'm going to work more on it later tonight. I'm not sure if I'll keep my original dimensions. I do like the proportions I've laid out with the eye so I'm going to follow that. If need be I'll constrain the dimensions around it.

New Drawing

I'm in the planning stages of my new drawing. Right now I'm still trying to decide on size. I figured out the proportions using a compositional mock-up in Photoshop. I have a roll of paper that is 48" long. I'd really like to do a drawing that is that high or wide, but I don't think it will work for this. I'm also worried about getting something that size framed, and getting it into a show. The last show I participated in had a size limit. I'd like to work larger than 18" x 24" though to satisfy that little voice that's still following the demand of my high school teachers to work larger. When my drawings were just getting stapled to a wall it really didn't matter what size it was, but now I have to worry about over size shipping fees and show limititations. I think I'll still have the over size shipping fees but I think it will be slightly smaller than "Angelic" which will make it work. I'm thinking of doing it 24" x 22," I still could probably use a smaller drawing board, but I think I'll add a 2" border to the whole thing. I had a hard time matting "Angelic" with that small 1" border. So the paper will have to 28" x 26" I won't be cutting the paper exactly in half but I can still find something to do with that scrap paper. I'm probably going to cut the paper and tape it down tonight and maybe even start sketching. I should have something to post on it today or tomorrow.

Reflective

I finished that small self portrait. It's only 5" x 7" but I feel really good about going into the next drawing. I'll start the next drawing in the next few days and some progress shots up. The next drawing is going to be about the size of "Angelic."

New Self Portrait (small one)

I started a small self portrait. It's my first attempt at a self portrait with glasses. Overall I think it's a great start. I think the glasses look rather good, so it gives me some confidence going into my larger drawing. I should be able to finish this one in the next few days. I would have worked on it more tonight, but I started getting a bit light headed.

Also I'm going to hold off on that flower drawing. I made a small attempt earlier and it just didn't work out. I'll try drawing flowers again another time. I've always struggled with landscapes and anything really related to nature.

New drawings coming soon

I took the reference photo for my next drawing. I didn't expect to get it so soon, but I have it. I also found a reference photo for lilacs. I'm going to start working on that drawing tomorrow. It's going to be a small 7" x 5" colored pencil drawing. Also in taking photos for my next big drawing I came up with a reference photo that I like but just won't work for my concept and I might try to do a smaller drawing of it before I start working on the larger one. It might help me to do a successful self portrait with glasses before starting on this big one. Anyway I'd really like to get the flower drawing done before Easter. I'd like to make it a gift to my grandmother. If not I can always save it for Mother's day. I still have to decide which drawings I'm entering in which competitions. I know I want to enter "Polynesian Slumber" and "Beautiful Dreamer" though I'm not sure if I want to enter both into both competitions or just submit one to each. Or maybe if I should submit "Angelic" into the new competition. I might just do both into both, if I can afford it. I have until the end of this month to figure it out. I plan to start painting after I finish this next big drawing. I may get some canvases to start out with, since I won't have to order them online. I can just get them at the store. I do want to try hard board though. It may just have to wait. I'll also have to get an easel and I'll be set. I need to focus on this big drawing first though, and of course this little flower one. Timing and how I feel will dictate whether I do that smaller self-portrait first or not.