Christy Talbott's drawing children from life

[Christy Talbott]

I'd been thinking for some time that I'd ideally love to do my children's portraits from life. I just feel that although extremely challenging, I'll be a better painter in the end if I work in this way. We'll see what happens! I've a lot to learn. Inspired by Michael G's life drawing sketchbook, I've decided to start my own thread to record my progress. I'd love to get critiques, so please feel free to offer them.

Here are drawings of Lilah (my daughter age 4) and my son Noah (age 10). I'm afraid some of these look cheesy and as though they are made up out of my mind. It's difficult to overcome this since I am drawing out of my mind to a large degree. They won't stay still for me. I think tomorrow I'll try to begin more concentrated studies of hands or feet.

Thank you for looking!

[Michael Georges]

Christy! I am so glad that you have started this.

You have set for yourself a mighty task I must say. Drawing a model that sits still is hard enough, but children will present a consistently moving target. I think that ultimately for commissions you will have to work from a combination of life and photos - getting enough visual information to produce a finished piece from life alone is gonna be tough with the younger subjects.

And what a wonderful learning tool for you! It can only improve your work and hopefully your enjoyment of it all.

I like the first portrait drawing you have posted below. I agree that the others lack the intermediate level of finish that you were able to get in the first portrait - there is a lot to capture in a full figure and a whole other challenge of what to represent to get that level of finish.

How would you take something like one of those sketches and produce from it, and your memory, a high finish portrait?

One option might be to have an initial session where you do sketches like that, and also do a color sketch to capture skin tones and temperature from a live setting. Take some reference pics during that session as well. Take your materials off and work up an intermediate stage portrait. Get your subject back in and compare everything you have done - get refining notes either on paper or in your head. If you can, have them sit and work some more from life - even with them moving you will be able to observe so much that you don't get from a static photo.

Take it all back and work the intermediate into a final finished portrait.

Dunno, it is a challenge but a worthy one I think! Congrats on starting this!

[Christy Talbott]

Thank you so much Michael, I truly do appreciate your encouragement.

I guess I wasn't yet going for a high degree of finish. I will certainly at some point soon. I just feel i need to get a better grasp of anatomy at this point. It's much easier looking at a photo, as long as you can see, you really don't need to understand in the way that you need to with a moving target. In the drawing of Lilah on the stump, it not only doesn't look like her, but i've drawn her legs way too long. Doing the hand and foot sketches, I'm going to try for more detail. I realize that I'm going to need to do hundreds of these little sketches frankly. I'll try to be more discriminating in what I post. When you say you like the first sketch, did you mean the one of my son's face or the one of Lilah standing? Noah's is labeled #1, but hers is the first... (edit- I have moved Noah's to the post below)

I titled this thread "drawing children from life", but I'll be doing paintings as well.

Thanks again Michael.

[Christy Talbott]

Here's a sampling of more quick sketches of Lilah and a head study of Noah (not a super likeness this time). Still don't have a more detailed study. At least this is more observational than some of the earlier drawings.

[Christy Talbott]

Here's today's contribution.

[Christy Talbott]

I decided to draw someone who will actually sit for me-- even though she's not a child. Here's a self portrait done looking in a mirror. I did get a commission to do a portrait of a 22 yr old woman from life; I start on Monday. Of course this should be much easier than trying to paint a little child, still I'm a little anxious because I don't have a lot of working from life experience.

[Michael Georges]

Ah Christy, what wonderful experience this portrait using a mature sitter will be for you! Congratulations on the commission!

The self portrait is good! I can see the likeness even from your little avatar pic.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Oh Christy! This is such an exciting thread! I can't tell you how fascinating it is to see your drawings. It gives us a much more complete picture of who you are and how you paint (and draw, of course) and think and feel. I love the descriptive quality of trying to catch someone in motion or a fleeting expression. I have a feeling that something is happening in your work in general and it will be really, really good. I am looking forward to seeing it develop.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

I love these sketches Christy!

[Christy Talbott]

Thank you Michael, Alexandra and Enzie for your encouragement. I'm glad you like them. In doing this I'd been beginning to feel I couldn't draw which means I truly need this exercise!