Knit Scan Detail #2 from the Portrait of Dick and Catherine Marshall

Knit Scan Detail #2 from the portrait of Catherine and Dick Marshall

And to follow up, here is a second detail of Dick Marshall from the same portrait, this time created from three scans which are knitted together from top to bottom.   
To learn more about how to knit scans, just google the topic, or click on this easy tutorial I found at about.com.

Kat and Dick's completed portrait

19" x 26", pastel and carbon pencil on Pastelmat

And here is the final version of the portrait of one of my favorite couples, Kat and Dick.  I'm tickled with how it came out.  
This a lamp-lit camera shot, so if I get a better record of it in daylight, I'll replace it here.

Value Study for a Couple's Portrait

value study in progress for a portrait of Peggy and Marcelo, charcoal & pastel,
done on one-half of a 26" x 20" warm grey acid-free paperboard

 I thought it would be interesting to share some of the various steps I use when preparing for a portrait commission.  I don't do all of these steps each time, but to demonstrate the possibilities, I'm working on several versions of this one, which my sister, Peggy, has commissioned of her and my brother-in-law, Marcelo.  This first version is based on the initial photo I took of them, and doing it in black and white allows me to explore the range of light to dark which is a key component I want to emerge in the finished painting.

Next is my sister, so stay tuned for the rest of this value study, and soon I hope to also post my self-portrait at age 3.

Completed Miniature Portrait of Marcia and Harry

"Marcia and Harry", 3 7//8" x 3", egg tempera on gessoed panel

Here is the main reference picture I used for this portrait (eliminating myself, and adding behind them the window view from the opposite corner of the restaurant.)

Here is the final version of the miniature portrait of Marcia and Harry.  I replaced my original scan with a better one, after also making a few tiny changes to the far right.  You will notice in both this instance and in the self-portrait in progress at age 3, that "rim lighting" illuminates the faces around the edges and with reflected light, giving them a soft glow.