pastel of Sandra

"Sandra", pastel in progress on La Carte pastel board

Here is a detail from a pastel portrait of Sandy I've had on the side and am working on again.

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.

Self-Portrait, Age 3, More Progress

"Self Portrait, Age 3" in progress, 19 1/2" x 23 1/2", pastel on Pastelmat

I'm making a bit of progress on the nuances of the facial features and starting to block in the pants and lower portions, so here's another update.  Still struggling a bit with this new surface, but I may try a little workable spray fix to see if it helps me refine things further.

Pastel in Progress - Self Portrait, Age 3

"Self Portrait, Age 3" in progress, 19 1/2" x 23 1/2", pastel on Pastelmat

I'll get back to a final post of my dual portrait soon, but last week I also started this pastel of myself at age 3, from a picture taken by the water in Long Beach, CA.  I am using Pastelmat for the first time, and in working on this I discovered it holds pastel very nicely, but also maxes out it's holding capacity sooner than I anticipated.  I'm going to see where it takes me on this surface, and if I'm not satisfied, I may try another pastel surface, or possibly try it in egg tempera and oil.

A Dual Miniature Portrait in Progress

"Marcia & Harry" (in progress), 3 7/8" x 3 1/2", egg tempera miniature portrait on true gesso panel

Several years ago after my father passed away, my Mom met Harry, and almost 2 years ago they were married.  To celebrate Harry's birthday (they have both recently turned 85 years young) and their wedding anniversary coming up in April, I'm working on this miniature portrait.  It portrays them standing in front of the picture windows of Asiate, a lovely restaurant at the top of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City which overlooks Central Park and Columbus Circle.  I had a lovely meal with them there when they came to NYC for their honeymoon.  I have a little more work to go on this one, so I'll post it once more upon it's completion. 

Working on Her Face, Hair, and Hand

(*August 11:  Just a little more progress, so I've added another copy of the image.)

(click image twice for a larger view)

"Kimberly With Roses," 19 1/2" x 15 1/4", egg tempera in progress on true gesso panel

Another look at the portrait after more work on the face, the hairline and portions of the hair.
In egg tempera painting, many thin translucent layers of paint in alternating warm and cool tones are juxtaposed to gradually solidify forms and build luminosity as it goes forth.

"Kimberly with Roses," in Progress

"Kimberly with Roses," (in progress) 19 1/2" x 15 1/4", egg tempera on true gesso panel

I'm enjoying very much painting this portrait which includes both international and spiritual influences. I've begun it in egg tempera on a medium-sized panel.

Egg tempera is a wonderful medium for achieving fine detail and luminosity in portraiture, which can be used alone or in conjunction with oil paint. Egg tempera paint is made by mixing powdered pigments directly with egg yolk and distilled water. It has a long and interesting history, and prior to the invention of oil paint, was the single most popular medium for painting.

I'll share updates on this portrait as it progresses.