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This isn't quite as scary as Capt Ken's nice pic of Karyn...
I did it last weekend- of my new sister in law- she and my youngest brother were married in September, and I took a pic of her, from which I based this pic.
It's 50 x 40 cm, in urethane on canvas. I still have a couple of things to fix up some time in the future- mainly the shading on her right cheek, and one tooth needs a bit of altering- or maybe it'll grow on me as it is!
10 hours...I redid the eyes, nose & mouth a couple of times as I tended to go too dark inadvertently. Should have been quicker, though for a pic of someone you know, you tend to be fussy!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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P.S. Ricky- it's my first go using the Mojo- I like it, though the knob on the end of the handle tended to tighten as I used it and I had to keep opening it up...
Here are some progress pix of it as we went along...
The hair is good to 'warm up' on...but I don't like doing flowers...
the chin, mouth & nose are fairly 'safe', but I went a bit dark below the ear lobe...
one eye done, but the eyebrow showed a bit much anguish and was a tad dark, and the creases in the chin/cheek/below the lips were too strong also...
it was still a bit flat in places, and a bit blotchy, and her right cheek was too dark- it was late and I wasn't paying attention properly!
so after whiting out bits & reducing contrast here and there, it ended up as the first pic.(so far)
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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awesome... great texture, and shading. You need to be a bit less critical, your work is top notch!
[ October 11, 2006, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: captain ken ]
-------------------- Ken McTague, Concept Signs 57 Bridge St. (route 107) Salem MA 01970 1-978-745-5800 conceptsign@yahoo.com http://www.pinheadlounge.com/CaptainKen
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"A wise man once said that, or was it a wise guy?" Posts: 2425 | From: Salem, MA | Registered: Apr 1999
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Most of us would give our left arm to be able to airbrush portraits like that. You are way too critical of yourself... but then again that is why your work is so nice. I like the step-by-step too. Is that on paper or what? love....Jill
Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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Jill...you can have my left arm, it's the right one that's the useful one! As for criticism...well that's how you improve. Three years ago I looked in awe at Bill Riedel's portraits of lettervillians and wished I could do that even half as well. A year later I decided wishing would not make me any progress, so I took steps to try & to learn- you could too!
It's on a cheapy canvas from a cheapy shop. It just happens to fit inside a nice frame the cheap shop sells with a mirror in it...gosh we're cheapy people The green stuff is masking tape. (The pic is to be a wedding present for them)
edited to say- thanks for the compliments!
Painting it was one issue- but taking a photo that would make a nice portrait when airbrushed is another issue altogether- you do need a bit of lighting contrast, not a flash-lit portrait-studio type of pic.
[ October 11, 2006, 08:56 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Ian, they are right, your work is beautiful!!!
When I was teaching myself to airbrush, years ago, I was living with my now hubby, & airbrushed his face on a pillow case. Came out pretty good, & I still have it, I do believe!
-------------------- 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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id give two of my arms to airbrush like that!!! brill!!
-------------------- Nicola Rowlands RGS Signs & Screenprinting Reval Green Finavon By Forfar Angus scotland 01307 850 260
'learn from the mistakes of others..you can't live long enough to make them yourself' Posts: 108 | From: scotland | Registered: Jan 2005
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Gosh, my chin hit the floor just looking at this pic. We are always critical of things that we do ourselves, I can always see every mistake and piece that I'd like to change when I do something but I have learnt to stand back and listen to those around me who are telling me it's great. I have only used an airbrush twice, I am concentrating on learning how to operate a brush and do gold leaf work, any advice or tips would be much appreciated.
YOUR PICTURE IS AWESOME!! It will be a cherished wedding gift.
Anne
-------------------- Anne McDonald 17 Karnak Crescent Russley Christchurch 8042 New Zealand
"I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure" Posts: 877 | From: Christchurch | Registered: Sep 2006
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I've been offline since last Wednesday, travelling- Thanks for compliments! Anne, if you want to learn, just go for it! It's easy: basics- control + eyes-look at what you have to reproduce and do it...ok ok maybe it's not so easy, but it's far from impossible. Two years ago I could not do this stuff, and I'm happy with the progress I've made so far, tho' there's a long way to go still!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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HI Rod, yep, I'm hooked! It's good stuff! I've got a long way to go yet tho'!
Hope you can make it up to Letterheads Oz 2007 that I'm hosting up here next year instead then!
Thanks for the comments.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Ian, I always love seeing your work. It's delightful. She's so realistic, it seems as though I've known her a long time. I wish I could airbrush! Many letterheads have encouraged me, but I never get a compressor since it has to stay quiet where I live. You really have a gift, Ian, cause all your work is so outrageously gorgeous.
-------------------- Deb Fowler
"It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney (1901-1966) Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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Thanks, Deb- it is supposed to be realistic!
As for wishing you could airbrush, well, at some stage you need to decide to 'just do it'. There are other options to noisy compressors- you can get quietened ones, and you can get Carbon dioxide gas bottles.
I'd recommend taking a class or two to get the basics behind you, or else you can get put off easily, or discouraged when the first thing you do isn't the masterpiece you'd hoped for. (I've really only been trying properly for about 20 months, and haven't done too much in that time. The first week of earnest trying was five days of dots & lines & dots & lines and dots...till I was sick of them, but could make them land more or less where I wanted them to, first go, at the darkness needed.)
Anyway all I was trying to say was 'thanks', and if you really want to do it, you can!
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Great job Ian! Man, that's gutsy using urethane on canvas.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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brill!!
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