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Matting artwork
While my supply lasts I’m offering a mat for the 6 x 8” portraits at no extra cost. It’s a good time to consider giving one as a gift. A Mat not only protects the artwork from the glass, it enhances how it looks.
Wow, A whole year passed……..
Since I last wrote on this blog. I’ve just been so busy. This is just to inform that I am still working and doing some great Portraits. Here’s a sample of a recent one I particularly like because of the lighting. I was given a great photo to work from.
A holiday drawing
I composed this still life with my daughter at her house. She really wanted to use the plaid tablecloth which I knew was going to be a lot of work and sure enough, it really was. In the end I loved the challenge of drawing it and how it came out.
Using standard size paper
I like to use standard size paper because people can frame the pieces more easily then, but sometimes the photo does not fit well on the page as in the case below. I always leave a 1 inch border, but in this case, leaving an inch above, and below, left more than an inch of…
Backgrounds can be tricky
I don’t put them in first as many artists recommend. Here I used a paintbrush to blur the grass and walkway so my subjects would stand out. Had I drawn the background first I may not have done that, it was something that just developed.
Doodles…
I’m not talking about the kind you do with a . pencil on a pad. I’m talking, Labra, or Cocker, or Golden. For me, they are the hardest dogs to draw because of their short curly hair. I never feel like I know what I’m doing, but in the end it always somehow comes together.…
If The Shoe Fits….
Every once in a while, I like to do a super realistic still life. It’s so much fun to observe something really close up and try to get all the detail into my drawing.
Using Colored Paper
I’ve been experimenting with different colored papers and really like the results. Colors seem to really pop, especially the light ones. Not to say I don’t love a white animal on white paper though, always one of my favorites. ❤️
Pic Stitch App
When I am finished with a portrait I put it in an app called Pic Stitch. When it is side-by-side with the photo I can see if I really am finished or if it needs more work. In this case, I see I need to improve the values in the woman’s face. Her eyebrows and…
Judgment errors
If you’ve read the previous post you know that sometimes I am wrong. 😳😂 Above is another case in point. When I got this photo I thought… I wish the dogs eyes were open. When I finished the portrait I thought… I’m so glad I didn’t talk my client out of using this.❤️ Love how…
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J DeMaio Draws 