Anyway.
Now, I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a portrait artist. Thats why I liked the idea of illustration so much...it doesn't have to look exactly like anyone, but it can still be considered 'good'.
True, I've made the odd attempt. I've become quite adept at the ubiquitous self-portrait required in all art classes. I even got to sculpt my head in clay once. (Whatever happened to that?).
Once I even braved a likeness of my husband. This was when we were on the verge of being laid off at Airborne, circa 2005, and I had LOTS of downtime. Yeah, I did it at work. What do you think?
Yeah, I know. His teeth are HUGE in this drawing! But the colors are nice right? And the eyes are pretty close to what they should be, all smiley and such. Its just a little stretched out. Or something. Maybe his nose is too small.
Today, Elora and I had another drawing day. I felt motivated to get off my behind and do something, when I was reading Jill's post about feeling like garbage because she was home all day. I could totally relate, with the added guilt that I never do anything with my art. At least not since the last time Elora and I had an art day.
So here is the finished product:
Do you like it? I'd say this definitely falls into the realm of illustration: A nice piece of art, but does it really look like her? The hair looks cool, and the colors turned out great. But hmmm, does she look stoned? (She's supposed to be looking down). And Elora bumped my hand so there are a few spots that reaaaaly bother me. Oh well, at least I tried.Did I mention that in art classes we were told repeatedly that, "Illustration is the bastard child of the art community" ?
Maybe I should just stick to learning how to do watercolors. Of course, my one attempt at this that I still own was completed about five years ago. Hmm, I don't stick to these things very well, do I.
15 comments:
Bastard children may be bastard children, but they are also appreciated by many people.
I think Elora doesn't look stoned, but it does look like she's looking down, i.e. a little sad maybe.
The portrait of your husband is awesome. Seriously, it looks really good!
Have you visited illustrationfriday.blogspot.com?
You will enjoy the inspiration!
I think your work is amazing. You've always impressed me!
It's interesting that illustration was called the "bastard child", because the art department is all about pumping their latest illustration faculty member's accolades.
Your drawings are amazing! They look great!
It was actually the illustration department that told us about that nickname, as if they were somewhat proud of it. And I've heard the sentiment repeated in art publications and from other artists, if not in the same words.
S was over here last night and pointed out Elora looks older in the pic. Yup. I think her face isn't round enough and her nose is too long. I always do that. Oh well!
You never fail to impress me! The drawings look amazing. I really like the portrait of your husband; I've only met him once and seen pictures of him, but it looks remarkably like him. And, I absolutely love the drawing of Elora - especially the use of colors. I wouldn't say it perfectly resembles her, but if it's an illustration, it doesn't have to, does it? It certainly looks enough like her that you could tell it was her.
Seriously, you're amazing!
sanity- I tried going to that site but it looks like all the posts are gone?
I think that picture looks just like Joseph, but I hardly ever notice all the little things you always think are wrong with your pictures. I don't know about the one of Elora, but maybe she looks different then I remember? ;)
I love to see your artwork!
And I find your comments about them very interesting, although I never seem to "see" the things you dislike about them.
Thank you for sharing!
Tearese... have you ever thought of starting an art blog? Or perhaps posting more of your art on your current blog?
My uncle is an illustrator... he does more cartooning than anything else... his blog is http://thegolemhunter.blogspot.com. I think you'll also see him on Illustration Friday ocassionally... but the art blog where he most frequently posts (besides his own of course) is Toon Club... http://toonclub.blogspot.com.
About Elora... the one characteristic that really stands out to me when I see her is her large beautiful eyes... so to me, your drawing seems a little unusual in that she is looking down and that her eyes aren't wide open... perhaps if she received a little more "open-eyed" look... then it might look more like her! Just my opinion... :)
aileen- this is actually a big issue with me. In high school I was only known as the girl who won a lot of art contests, and I felt like people didn't really know anything else about me. In college, too, people mostly knew me because I was an art major (although I was pretty average in the bigger pond.)
I didn't like how something I loved was becoming more commercial, and something I HAD to do. I actually was pretty burned out after college and only did about one piece a year.
As I've mentioned before, I rarely have time to do this stuff these days, nor do I often have the inclination (this is only the second time this year I've worked on anything.)
Its something personal, and I'm not interested in being defined by it once again. Maybe when my kids are all older I'll get back into it.
So no, this isn't going to become an art blog; art is only posted when it has to do with something else.
oh- and I picked the photo of Elora to work from because I loved her unusual expression. I hate,hate, hate straightt forward poses-looking at the camera, etc. Unfortunately, when people know you can draw, they always ask you to do portraits, and they always bring you pictures like that. Yuck.
Okay, no art blog... I can live with that... :) But it was still fun to see your photos! I didn't know you were so talented!
Hmmm... she could look open eyed without looking straight at the "camera" couldn't she? She could be looking up at something (a butterfly, falling leaves, bubbles...), or looking to the side...
Incidentally... your sketch of Elora actually does look like her... it just didn't at first glance because I'm so used to seeing a bright bubbly eyed girl with a huge toothy grin! :)
great pictures!!! by the way i finally started a blog it's shawfamily2003.blogspot.com hope you will stop by!
hey, i just saw your comment. why would it end up in a c-section? was i suppose to call the doc when i lost my plug?
oh no no! I just know a lot of people who get their membranes stripped aren't progressing fast enough, so the doctors just decide to do the c-section to be safe.
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