It definitely doesn't win any awards as the most detailed portrait I've done (that background is making me cringe...), but taking a break with this portrait represented a few important things for me and Zen Portraits.
To start, it was the first portrait that I've video recorded. I'll be posting that video on YouTube shortly, but this marks the beginning of a new practice for me. I foresee it changing the way I work completely, as I'll be able to review my creation process moving forward, allowing me to tweak how I go about things in the future with a better eye on progress. Watching the creation in fast-forward is also eye-opening, and reveals my attention to detail as I erase and re-draw many features attempting to get things just right. Any viewers will have to sit through my head being in the way for a portion of the video, but it's educational nonetheless.
Next, it's the first celebrity portrait I've done in a while. There's something about Liv Tyler though... Her work in the Lord of the Rings, as well as the underrated Reign Over Me makes her my favorite actress by far.
Finally... the live stream. I stumbled across a site called Stickam about a week ago, and knew that I had to incorporate it into my workflow, and provide that service to my customers. Essentially, I'll be showing live video online of each piece I work on, giving customers the ability to watch their end result being created! I'm not sure I've ever seen this service being offered by an artist (I'm sure it's out there) but I think it's an incredible opportunity for everyone involved. The Liv Tyler portrait was the first I streamed online, and got quite a few viewers checking out the progress as I worked. I'm hoping it'll also be a way to educate people on the portrait creation process as well. If you're interested in watching my live stream, check out the link in the side bar, and if I'm online working you'll be able to watch and comment live. Hope to see you there.
As for the portrait itself, it was really fun to take an intermission and stray from commissioned work for day. So much I could have improved upon, but I don't think that being a perfectionist as I took a break was the way to go. The face is photo-realistic, but the rest is largely just a play with composition. Her eyes come across, through, and I'm satisfied with that much. She has such an incredible gaze, especially when paired with that smile. Anyway, it was a good time. Maybe I'll return to celebrities a bit more often for practice.
That's it for today, next up I have a commissioned portrait of a cute baby girl covered in cake, which should be a blast.
Thanks for reading! May the Zen be with you.
//Jordan / Zen Portraits
No comments:
Post a Comment