Alan
 

This is my very first... attempt.. at doing a portrait in pastel. I never knew pastels could be so messy.

I'm not going to deny that I have no idea what I'm doing, I've had very little experience with color mediums and was hoping some of you great artists could give me a few pointers ;)

Matthew

Wow Matthew, that looks great! Makes my first few attempts look like crud. Being your first attempt, I assume you created this on a limited number of colors? You should be proud of yourself. :thumbsup:

Thanks a lot Jimmie!

Even though I have somewhere around 100 pastels, I only used about 4 different flesh colors for this portrait.

It took me a while to get used to the edge on a pastel stick. I probably should have sharpened my semi-hard sticks to a point, but I didn't want to waste pastel!

Matthew

P.S. I don't appreciate my work, but I do appreciate my progress. I suppose that is what really matters.

Matthew, I have no experience with pastels, so I can't address that area, but I like the way you're using them, you seem to be handling them well. What caught my attention right away is that the eyes appear to be too high in the head. Typically eyes are half way between the chin and top of the head. I suggest you measure your source photo (or model) and check this.
Debra

Matthew,

There is absolutely nothing that matters as much as progress - every hour at the easel is well spent.

I have found that the funny thing about pastels, is that even if you have 1000 sticks, you'll never really have the right one, so you are forced to get at the color you want in an indirect way.

As to the sharp point issue, I htink it is easier to get at fine detail by carving away at an already placed stroke.

Debra,
I completely agree that it looks wrong, but I checked up on it and the eye position is correct. I didn't realize until you mentioned it how high his eyes really are! Apparently the half way rule doesn

Matthew, the eyes are too high.

In most normal adult face to face eye-level to eye level, the tear duct is in the middle of the head, measured from top of the head to the chin. Your view point is below eye level, but I do not think this can be the case. I'd be happy to try to detail observations, if you would care to post the source photo.

And yes, you are doing great work!

ps. It may be that your source photo has taken on distortion due to either lens or proximity, in which case the image might agree with the source photo, but the source photo won't agree with the subject..

Here is the photo.
YIKES! The flaws in my portrait are disturbing when I compare them side by side.

Matthew

I'm happy with the ear, and thats about it *laughs*
 

I spent another hour in front of this piece and worked out some of the major flaws. Although I still don't know what to think of the eye position.
I still need to fix his cheekbones and eyes

Lend me your ears
 

I love painting ears. I really mean I LOVE painting ears! Ears are every bit as much a feature as eyes, mouth or nose.

I think that ears are underrated as to their importance in likeness.

This spring I am taking a forensic workshop with Karen Taylor at the Scottsdale Artists' School. There are forensic expertrs who believe that ear shapes are every bit as accurate as fingerprints in identifying an individual. We should all pay attention to ears.