"Eve and Her Dog," 15 1/2" x 21 1/2", charcoal and pastel on Arches Aquarelle paper (click the image to see it large)
Here is the completed portrait of Eve. I did two preliminary drawings before getting to this final version, primarily because after sketching it out I realized I wanted to try it larger to improve the level of detail while still utilizing charcoal and pastel. This drawing was inspired by a very small black and white photograph taken of Eve and her sweet dog, Stubby, on a black rooftop.
This is a nostalgia portrait of Eve in her youth, and memories can be very important to a portrait like this. In the first sketch I had Eve on a white towel on the black roof as she was in the photo. When we talked a bit about her memories of this time, Eve said she always remembers the trees everywhere, and could I put trees into the background of whatever version I came up with. Then I suggested a beach scene with the trees, and she liked that too. In this way both of our ideas combined and contributed to her portrait's final outcome.
(*additional note: I've replaced the photo of the art in this post with a better record copy, and there is a little more background about this portrait I'd love to share, but it must wait a few weeks, since it's a surprise.)
