some new portrait crap(updated 01/06)

[el coro]

hey all. here are a few portraits i've done recently. the first is a triple self portrait, big ass nose and all. this is on linen, no iunderdrawing, just having fun and letting the paint flow...http://www.coro36ink.com/updates/proj/primaryweb.jpg
i did these as christmas gifts. they are my girlfriend's niece and nephew. we drew their name this year, so they got paintings. thats the best thing about being an artist. you can get away with cheap gifts!-c36
http://www.coro36ink.com/updates/proj/lindsayweb.jpg
http://www.coro36ink.com/updates/proj/mattweb.jpg
here is myy dear friend chris hatala. hatala works at weta digital in new zealand, but was in town visiting briefly over the holidays...i made him sit for me for almost 3 hours for this one, even though its small 8x10 on linen mounted on board...http://www.coro36ink.com/updates/paintings/hatala.jpg
its hard painting from life. i dont do it enough these days.-c36

[Ismail]

VERy nice!!! VERY NICE!!!!:D

[Main Loop]

no underdrawing huh? dang....

i love flashy brushstrokes! hehe.. great stuff.. im sure they were happy with em

[AnarchyAo2]

Hey man, I'd rather want a cool painting then something expensive. So if the kids like it, then its a win-win situation. Nothing wrong with that.

[lucasgraciano]

Kids are hard to get right. You did an awsome job! Did you project those or did you draw them in?

[a_]

great portrait work, coro. are these from photos or from life? do you have any references to show us?

[el coro]

thanks for the replies...
a_ : yeah, i used ref for all of them. i dont have the kid refs, but i'll put up the ref for the sp shortly. its so much easier that way, especially for kids.

lucasgraciano: yeah, kids are so different structurally. i reaolly enjoy drawing and painting them, as its a fun challenge. i didnt use anything to transfer the image, just kind of dived right in, massing in the shadow shapes with raw umber and english red, then coming in with the lower middle tones a little bit of white and cad red added to the shadow color, then came in with the highlights using titanium white, a touch of the midtone color, and cobalt tirquoise to cool it off. then a little gray/green around the edges of the face and such. they are more like sketches than anything. i only break out the old opaque projector if i'm doing an excessively complicated or large painting, so i dont have to spend a week to draw it. with smallish paintings and portraits, i like to just kind of wing it...

AnarchyAo2: thanks, i think they will like it...i hope.

Main Loop: hell yeah! no better way to test your chops than with out the safety net. besides, i had been working a large piece with an extensive underdrawing, and i needed to cut loose for a bit. i find i get a lot more painterly when i dont underdraw. more fine arty, less illustrative.
thanks again for the kind words, happy new year all!-c36

[Main Loop]

oh, question for ya, when you work with no underdrawing do you start from the inside out ala Richard Schmid? i have a tendency to start at the top left corner of whatever im drawing... dont know if thats the best way to approach something with no underdrawing..

[el coro]

main loop: yeah, i'll start with the left eye typically, then build off that, mass in the head/shoulder placement as soon as possible. i like to use a brush with a 24 inch long handle for this, as it sets you further back so you can more easily see the picture as a whole. if i aam doing a larger more complicated composition, though, i'll start top left and work my way to the right. i highly recommend trying the long brush thing, though, as its a marvelous tool and an interesting way to approach a piece.-c36