Jennifer Love Artwork BLOG

Originally published 12/26/15 ___________________________________________________ Since I have dedicated my attention to watercolor painting in the past several years, it has been a long while since I created a pencil portrait. Drawing skills, of course, are important to any painter - as you still have to transfer your design to the paper before painting. But, I haven't focused on pencil drawings as the final product for a long time. So, recently, when I was commissioned to do a pencil portrait for a Christmas gift, I thought I might break down the steps and tools that I prefer to use in the process and write a little blog post about it. Tip #1 : Use a grid. This is good for any drawing you are trying to recreate from a snapshot, but especially for portrait work. Make a copy of the picture you are using and draw a grid on the top. Then make a proportional grid (in light pencil marks) on the paper you are using in order to lay out the picture proportionally. This will be esp...

I finished my commission this weekend and my client is very happy with the final results (at least with the digital photos of the final painting that I emailed). Will be shipping the painting out later this week.  :) "A Delicate Spring" - Watercolor -  ©2012 Jennifer Love So...here is the rest of the process (picking up from the last post): First of all, I decided to go ahead and tape around my edges like usual. It just gives a cleaner line when  you are finished with the painting. Next, I laid down another wash on the sky because it wasn't as blue as I wanted the first time. Color always dries lighter than it appears when wet. Also started laying in some grays and more greens in the background. I have been reading this book by Jeanne Dobie called "Making Color Sing" in preparation for another watercolor workshop I am attending next weekend. It girves some great instruction on mixing your own grays (warm and cool), and on laying do...