Blog — Portraits

Have you watched the movie The Blind Side? I love this movie. I've watched it many times. 😊 While watching the story unfold, I was inspired to draw Kathy Bates's portrait with my ballpoint pen. I like to call this style of portraiture a Minimalist Drawing. How do you like it? These portraits take less time to draw, but they...

Do you like going through photo albums? I appreciate the ease of our digital age with the ability to easily store thousands of pictures. I also love to spend time sipping a cup of tea while turning the pages of cherished family photo albums.  I came across Lindsey's photo while looking through my Mom's photo albums. Little Lindsey was adopted by...

I remember meeting Mija. She came around the corner and wiggled her way into the front lobby. What an adorable dog. For this blog post, I want to talk about what make's a good reference photo. The picture needs to be in focus. I prefer close-up pictures. They help me see the facial details. I recommend avoiding the harsh middle-of-the-day...

What comes to mind when you see this portrait? Do you enjoy looking at wolves? I do. They are stunning. They are fascinating creatures. Drawing this beautiful wolf captivated my attention. Notice his eyes. There's a wildness in them. We don't see that wildness in the eyes of domestic animals. I spent quality time drawing his eyes. I wanted to...

This was a special day. I don't always get the opportunity to meet my subjects. I met Piper after I drew her portrait. Piper's Mom texted me many photos. I took my time looking through them. What am I looking for? Is the lighting good? Is the expression good? Are the details that I need present? If not, I ask...