One of the most difficult portraits
 

I would be putting it in the critique section but it was sent away last month (as a gift) before I found this Forum.

I know there are a ton of problems with it. I really need to practice so I can try to make a living by accepting commissions, but I'm afraid I'm not good enough yet. Hopefully the practicing will go well!

And I just want to thank you all on this Forum! You have inspired me so much! Your words and your works have made me get my oils back out, which I haven't used for a couple years! I have been so unsure about pursuing this work, but this site has inspired me to try again!

Thank you Cynthia Daniel and EVERYONE!

B.T.W. this is colored pencil.

Administrator's Note: This post was moved to Critiques subsequent to the post.

Wow!
 

All I can say is WOW! Very nice!! I think you did a fantastic job here! I would love to see more! Thanks for sharing.

Jen

Thanks Jen!
 

Hopefully soon I'll have more portraits to show. Thanks for the encouragement!

Carolyn,

I think you did a very good job! I would have liked to have seen a little more body towards the bottom just to explain why the shoulder on the viewer's right is higher. I'm sure that it makes sense to you, but it seems a little odd. Other than that the flesh tones are good. I can't speak to the resemblance because I have not seen the reference! I started doing commissions when I was much less advanced than you! All you need now is a solid body of samples to show and you will be on your way!

Rebecca

Thanks Rebecca,
 

I agree that the viewers right shoulder looks odd. The photo was taken by my step mom standing looking down at her son on the couch. It is her very favorite photo of him (he was killed in a car accident). She had been asking me for quite a while to do a portrait from it. I tried a while back to do one in oils and failed miserably. But I'm glad I tried again. Her reaction was so much better than the gift itself.

It was particularly hard because I never got the chance to meet him. So the only reference I had was this photo, and knowing that she loved it so much I just tried to make it as close to the photograph as possible. But I did sort of chicken out on the sweater. So maybe I stopped that part too soon.

I do agree to anyone not seeing the reference it probably does look odd. Next time I'll take a picture of the reference and post it as well.

Thanks!

Carolyn, what a special portrait to do.

I think you have caught a ton of personality with your drawing, I feel like I know this person.

Honestly I wouldn't have known this was colored pencil! (That's a compliment).

If you could post your reference it would be a lot easier to give you a "critique", but now that I read through the thread, you guys have addressed that! I think it is wonderful! :thumbsup: