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FT Pro, Mem SOG,'08 Cert Excellence PSA, '02 Schroeder Portrait Award Copley Soc, '99 1st Place PSA, '98 Sp Recognition Washington Soc Portrait Artists, '97 1st Prize ASOPA, '97 Best Prtfolio ASOPA
Joined: Jun 2001
Location: Peterborough, NH
Posts: 1,114
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Drawing before painting
I often find it useful before I begin a portrait to do a little drawing to work out details such as light/shadow patterns, likeness, pose, clothing, etc.
I prefer to work with red and white chalk on (cheap) brown wrapping paper. Sometimes I use a red and a white colored pencil when I work small (as in this 8" x 10" sketch of John Adams for a historical portrait I'm about to begin). In drawing I avoid using the extreme values of black and white.
I draw on toned paper because I paint on a toned canvas. Drawing on white paper or painting on a white canvas never ever works for me as it "throws off my eye."
(Note that the reference came from a photo of the statue of him that is in the Senate building in DC.)
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