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I like to think that, even in my clutter and chaos, I know where all my "stuff" is at any given time. Today I nearly had an aneurysm trying to remember where I put a book of gold leaf that I've been meaning to experiment with. Well, after 3 hours I finally found it in the "special place" where it was placed to make sure it wouldn't get lost. D'OH!
In my turning of things upside down I also found the unfinished portraits of my grandfather and grandmother that were supposed to be Christmas gifts to my sister...last Christmas. Ouch! I put them out where I can see them to remind me that they need finishing before she comes to visit from Illinois in June.
During my search I also found a polariod of a sign I designed in back in 1993. It pales in comparison to work I've seen here and elsewhere, but I was pretty excited about being a part of the process back then.
Sometimes losing things can yield nice surprises when they are found.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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-------------------- Janet Bakewell One Sun Grafiks Inc. Slave Lake, AB Canada www.onesungrafiks.com Posts: 128 | From: Slave Lake, AB Canada | Registered: Apr 1999
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Those portraits are sensational Russ - they darn near look like photographs. Bravo!
-------------------- Kimberly Zanetti Purcell www.amethystProductivity.com Folsom, CA email: Kimberly@AmethystProductivity.com
“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” AA Milne Posts: 3722 | From: Folsom, CA | Registered: Dec 2001
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They are prismacolor on matboard. I chose a toned matboard, and then chose a cream-colored prismacolor for the highlights and a chocolate colored prismacolor for the darks. I used crosshatching to blend the darks and highlights into the midtone. The color in the scan isn't quite accurate. The real color is a little warmer and brighter.
It's my grandmother's hair that's tricky. The reference photo is pretty blurry, so I'm having make it up. I've been doing pencil sketches to experiment with the hair before I commit it to the matboard. I should have done the studies first, but...
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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Russ, it makes me itch to get out my old conte crayons from art school. Impressive skills man! Love....jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Holy Cow Russ! Those portraits show the skills of an accomplished illustrator. I hope you are pursuing your skills in that field. Those are excellent!
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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Russ, I can't add anything to what has already been said about those portraits.
Excellent work!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6453 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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Jean, Prismacolor is a wax-based pencil. It's a lot like a regular colored pencil, but the "lead" is softer and just slightly thicker. Very often when people say they work in colored pencil, they mean Prismacolor.
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. The last time I did a portrait it was of my other grandfather. I did it in scratchboard. It was harder to do, and didn't turn out as well. That's the reason I started exploring with Prismacolor. Back in the mid-80s I saw the work of a guy named Kent Goodliffe. He did large-scale monochromatic portraits on matboard and they were stunning. I wanted to try it for myself.
I did talk with my father's doctor about doing some portraits, but nothing was finalized. Those are the only two pieces I have in that style, and I only showed him the one of my grandpa. I'm sure it would just be a matter of bringing in several more examples to gain his trust and then pushing a little harder for a committment.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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....umm.....that other portrait is equally perfect! Wow. You are an inspiration. Love....Jill Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Wow is right, Russ. I worked with prismacolor back in the early 90's as well. They are really like crayons for grown-ups! I think your skill as an illustrator is tremendous. Keep it going. By the way, are you left-handed by any chance? Just curious! Sign-cerely, Steve
-------------------- Steve Luck Sign Magic Inc. 2718-b Grovelin Godfrey, Illinois 62035 (618)466-9120 signmagic@sbcglobal.net Posts: 870 | From: 2718-b Grovelin Godfrey, Illinois 62035 | Registered: Dec 2004
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I agree with Sheila, Russ. Your work is incredible! I think there are probably a lot of us who struggle with some of your same issues. My studio looks like a trainwreck a lot of the time and I have a lot of trouble finding stuff. I hate it too but it doesn't make me less valuable...and it's obvious that that kind of stuff doesn't deminish your skills either. It's just darn frustating when you can't find what you're lookin' for, huh? Keep your head up...
-------------------- Nancie W. Phillips White Dove Painting Studio 74 Dacula Road, Dacula, GA 30019 678-887-3339
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Oh, Russ, those are absolutely beautiful!!!!!
You know, you say you are a loser??? I have heard quite often here & there that we artists are so gifted in this one area, but sometimes we lack in others. It certainly doesn't make us losers! Think of a doctor, for instance, he can't do what we can do, but he isn't a loser, or anyone else! I heard a woman that taught on messy people, & she said that artists are often messy, too. That is me! My brain does not want to function when it comes time to organize things.
You sound like me, a bit. I lose things ALL the time, & I find things I never finished while I look for the lost ones! And I LOVE looking at my old artwork, even tho it is a bit rough, not at all as nice as yours.
These guys are right... you SHOULD be illustrating!
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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Thank you all so much for the words of encouragement. I do plan to pursue portrait work, and I'm going to give this sign biz a try as well. I have a lot to learn, and I am continually blown away by the talent that is concentrated here. There is so much I've learned already.
The title of my thread was meant to be a play on words (word?) because of all the things I seem to be misplacing lately. I wasn't really moping, but I guess it sounded that way. I was actually feeling pretty good because that elusive book of gold leaf was found. Now I'm gonna thrash it learning to gild. Sheila's gold leaf post came just in time.
Steve Luck, I'm actually right-handed, but the few times I've been on a skateboard I was told I ride "goofy foot" - wrong foot forward. I know lefties are supposed to be more creative, but it probably doesn't apply to those that are left-footed.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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AWESOME pictures, could'a sworn that they were photographs!
As for losing things, I used to work at AT&T Wireless as a PC tech and I had a messy desk all the time. My boss used to say something about it until he found out that I could find just about anything he needed in short order!
Now when my desk gets cleaned up...especially by someone else, it's gone forever! Be thankful the junk on top held the project in place for you!
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