Every day I do several hours of sketching with a ball-point pen. This time was a drawing of a woman’s face. I’ve divided it up by sections created by the facial structure — the eyes and brows, mouth and nose, chin and cheekbones. I’ve portrayed light and shadow — the darker shadow with cross hatch. You’ll notice the hair drawn in the direction it naturally flows on the model.
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Every once in a while I come across someone with a very natural and pleasing smile. This person acted like she enjoyed life and loved people. I wanted to share her warmth with everyone.
I absolutely love doing portraits! They’re my favorite thing to do. Eyes are a reflection of the soul — actually they reflect light just like a mirror. I don’t like straight-on serious portraits that have been done for centuries. A little angle gives interest, and it helps to zoom in on the face — after all, that’s what we’re most interested in anyway! I like to paint with enthusiasm and don’t blend everything together. I always put an undercoat that will be complimentary to the skin color. You can see little bits of blue coming through. This gives some depth and excitement!
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I love Paris. The view from the Eiffel Tower is amazing. The Louvre is breathtaking. I’ve visited two beautiful women there — Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. I’ve taken a boat ride down the Seine at night past Notre Dame Cathedral. I’ve eaten at sidewalk cafes. Paris is absolutely charming, but what do I love the most about that city? Montmartre. It is an area north of downtown Paris. It’s got the beautiful Sacre Couer Basilica, one of the most beautiful churches in the world, but I adore the French Impressionists. Some of them had studios here. I know Renoir and Monet did.
If you go to Montmartre not only will you find great cafes and shops, there will be dozens of artists. That’s what I love. I have a special memory there, walking up and down past artist booths, watching them do portraits. It reminded me of Renoir’s painting “Dancing at the Moulin de la Galette.” There was a magic there. This painting represents my memory.
I’ll mention two techniques I’ve used — rhythm and atmospheric perspective. The three artists in the front and the umbrellas behind them create a rhythm as the viewer looks from one to the next. Atmospheric perspective gives a feeling of depth. The people who appear closer are drawn larger than the others, and their features are more detailed.
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Logan is a missionary in Spain.
Note the dark background on the left that contrasts with the light on his forehead. The background on the right is light and the back of his head is dark. This technique creates a dramatic portrait.
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Norene and I needed to get out of the house last Saturday. Unfortunately, it was ice cold and the wind was howling. We couldn’t really go many places, so we drove to Franklin, Indiana and had lunch at The Willard, an old hotel that has been converted to be a restaurant. It was a great atmosphere and the food was good.
While we were waiting, Norene pushed the shakers together. I was fascinated by the reflected color in their lids. I decided I had to paint them. The whole technique I used was drawing the shapes and painting in the colors.
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I taught a still-life painting class for six years, then stopped when I had a medical emergency close to two years ago. This is the first time I’ve attempted a still-life since then.
When I taught the class I emphasized filling the canvas and making the layout interesting, as well as using complementary colors. I always lit my subject with a lamp to show highlights and shadows to create a dramatic effect.
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My wife and I went with our daughter and her husband to visit the homes of our ancestors in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. We drove up to Provincetown. It was early evening and the sun was going down. We pulled over on the side of a road because my granddaughter called. While my son-in-law was talking, my daughter, my wife and I walked down to the water. It was low tide. We enjoyed walking out in the wet sand. It felt good squishing up between our toes. We found a lot of little sea creatures and shells.
There were several boats that had been left out in the water, and with the tide out, they were sitting on the ground. I was intrigued by the sight. The sunset reflected in the water. Everything that wasn’t lit by the sunlight had a bluish shadow over it.
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My wife suggested I be like Frida Kahlo or Rembrandt and start the tradition of doing my self-portrait every January. Here’s the 2012 version.
When I was in art school we studied facial structure, even human skulls. I use this knowledge in my portraiture. It helps to know where cheekbones and eye sockets go.
I always try to paint the exact color I’m looking at. At first it looks strange, but as the picture comes together it seems correct.
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