Happy new year!!! Well, after almost two years, the painting I started in early 2010 of my friend and fellow artist Sabrina Nelson is done! It didn't have to take me that long, but I got side tracked with other projects and since there was no rush I took my time.
It was a hard painting in many ways due to the outdoor perspective and elements such as clouds and sand that needed to be rendered, which i have not painted in years. I also had some issues with my vision the past week. I think it's due to a minor sinus infection, but my my eyes have been a little sensitive and I have had a little vertigo on my feet. I took a few over the counter meds and feel a little better now. Any hue, I suppose I do portraits to challenge my skill and make sure it's still there, plus I really like painting people. I've done some pretty cool portraits in the past , but sadly I sold them and don't own them anymore :(. That was in the days when I didn't document my work a lot. Thank God for digital cameras. It makes life so much easier now. Anyway what do you think?
All and all I learned a lot and added a few tricks. The most important thing I remembered is that a good painting starts with a good foundation and a good drawing. If you start with a nice surface and an accurate drawing the rest falls into place much easier. For the most part my proportions weren't so far off though I did end up making a few changes. This painting strikes me as very surreal, I think thats because of the photo. Photos are not easy to paint from and I try to change a few things when I paint from photos so it doesn't get boring for me. Nevertheless, I'm digging it. You can check out earlier versions of the process of this painting in the archives of this blog.
