WIP Finally Finished!

[lucky]

Hi All,

Well I was debating whether or not to post this in progress, and decided it was probably a good idea since it's taking soooooo long! Been working on this one since right after posting the last (since the beginning of May). So maybe some more eyes will be helpful. :)

I'm currtently working on her hands and legs and will start her feet soon. And of course finish the seat she's on. I am sure I will touch up everything everywhere, especially if there is anything you all see that needs attention.

This is a portrait of my grandma. :)

Thanks for your help!

~Lucky

[Denise]

*GASP!!!* all words have escaped me...... :droppedja :droppedja :droppedja

things like incredible, stunning, outstanding, amazing, etc, come to mind but don't seem to do your work justice...

you have amazing realism....

Please consider doing a complete wip so we can watch and learn from your technique....

how do you get such incredible realism from pastels...is it oil pastel...hard...soft...what kind of paper....what size....how many hours are you in to it so far.....what is your approach.....soooo many questions....

you have an amazing talent.....I hope you are making serious $$$ w/ it, because you certainly could...

[Greg]

This is really incredible. I had to do a double take, because I thought I was looking at the reference photo. Great job. I hope to see a WIP also.

[Brenda]

Baeutiful!! That's all I can say is just beautiful. I'll look closer tonight since I have to leave work right now. But... woooowwww... It's amazing.

[Cleo]

Yeah......we all want to know how you do this and keep it smudgeless !!! :D


Great stuff




Cleo :)

[Katherine]

You are incredibly talented. There's nothing else to say.

[caulfield]

This is sooooo gorgeous! It has just the right values, softness, saturation - I love it! So how big is it? What paper, pastels, etc? Can we have a close-up of the hands? Such a sore point for me!!

Nicole

[Meisie]

Gasp....I'll come back and comment when I've recovered from the shock....

Meisie

[Toni]

Yummy....

it's about time you posted this.... I noticed it in your studio thread... wonderful work... you captured the beauty of her spirit and that wonderful sparkle in her eye. The background is supurb, the collection belongs to her of course?

I'm glad we can finally see it!

TJ

[Lahree]

WOW!!

[lucky]

Oh woops sorry I forgot all the important details!

It's 68cm x 48cm, aprox. 26.5" x 19", on a paper that is sort of suede like. I am just a beginner at pastels so the clerk stacked some papers for me to try and this was one of them. Next time when I go back to buy more of this fantastic paper I will find out the name. I am using soft pastels. Giraults, and I beleive some Rembrandts, but not positive of that either. :o
Not sure how many hours I've put into it, maybe around 150?

I can't really explain about my approach because I am just learning. But it's a pretty direct approach just putting the color down where I think it goes. And for the most part working dark to light.

Denise, thanks so much for your enthusiastic response! :D And for saying that you hoped I was making serious money doing this. That was exactly what I needed to hear! I have been nervous about taking comissions and trying to sell my art so this year I have just been working really hard to build up my portfolio and also build my confidence so I could start taking commissions, and feel good about the product I'm selling. Your post was a real boost! Thank you!!!

Thanks bobcat, ahhhh, a WIP, maybe after a bit more practice.

Thanks you so much Brenda, Katherine, Meisie, and Lahree, you guys are great!!!

Hi Cleo, smudgeless? ha ha I am addicted to smudging, and my hand is always covered in pastel. I think it's the type of paper that is really holding the pastel in place. This paper is wonderful, it does all the work!

Thank you so much Nicole! Actually one reason it's taking so long is because I had to redo the hands and legs I had made them too small and just not quite right the first time. Sorry the close up is blurry, and the hands are not completed yet...

Hi TJ, yes the dolls in the background are my grandmas. When my mom was a little girl they lived in Japan for a couple years and my grandma started to collect these beautiful Japanese dolls. Im so glad you think I've captured her spirit. She is very sweet and shy with a cute sense of humor.

[lucky]

Actually, maybe the time spent has been more around 100 hours, or even less but it feels like forever. ;)

[Cleo]

You mention that you had to redo the hands and legs....how difficult was it to rework the pastel ?





Cleo

[Brenda]

I'd say let the commissions begin.

Girl, you've got a career ahead of you. And I'm going to say, "Yeah? Well, I knew her back when she first started. She was absolutely amazing then. But after she spent some time on ST, she just got better and better!" HAHAHAHA!!! Some things people are just born to do and God has blessed you with such a gift.

Gotta ask... Has your grandmother seen this yet?

[lene]

Hi Lucky

Amazing :clap: :clap:
the hands are just ... are you sure you didn't cut&paste those from a photo into the painting ;) ... the whole painting is fantastic. If you're a beginner, you have a fantastic talent already :clap:

[lucky]

Hi Cleo,

I wish I knew the name of this paper, it really lets you abuse it! I erased the legs and hands with a hard white eraser and just drew them all over again, and the paper had no problem taking it. I was scared to do it but it actually didn't turn out to be a problem.

Thanks Brenda,

No, my grandma hasn't seen it yet. I will send her an email when it's finished. Thanks for your vote of confidence. :) I have done some commissions before but they always stressed me out, so I figure I really have to know my stuff before I start taking them on, hopefully on a much more regular basis. (I really need some $$$ to start replacing these pastel stubs.) :D

Hi lene,

Thank you! ha ha Did you notice she is missing part of her pinkie still ;) Actually working on her feet right now and I must say they are much harder then her hands.

Oh, I'm not a beginner to art, just to pastels. And I think I'm falling in love with them!

Thanks again everyone for your nice comments!

[Denise]

I'm glad I could be an encourager to you Lucky!

Really! You just started pastels? I'm amazed....

You are good enough to do a wip....we would all take notes from such a beginner!

Seriously...you have been BLESSED w/ an amazing talent...be confident in that!

What was your medium before you did pastels? Would love to see some of your past works....(do I sound like an art groupie yet? ;) )

[Brenda]

(singing...) Denise is an art-groupie. Denise is an art-groupie. nah, nah, nah, na-nahhhhh, nah. Umm... can I join the group, too? You have a fan in me, too!

Seriously, your grandmother is going to fall over when she sees this for the first time. Her hands just look fabulous.

[Denise]

(singing...) Denise is an art-groupie. Denise is an art-groupie. nah, nah, nah, na-nahhhhh, nah. Umm... can I join the group, too? You have a fan in me, too!

Seriously, your grandmother is going to fall over when she sees this for the first time. Her hands just look fabulous.


LOL, Brenda!

She's right, Lucky! You better have a chair handy for Grandma!

[eysha]

Oh my goodness, this is a wow. How did you do it? what colours did you use? where else can i see your work. i love realism.
I have pastels, hard and soft, but no clue how to use them really. tell all.

[Denise]

i love realism.
I have pastels, hard and soft, but no clue how to use them really. tell all.


yep...me too...must tell all....

[lucky]

Ha ha ha Denise and Brenda, You're cracking me up!

Denise, I've worked in oil, colored pencil, watercolors, pencil, etc. I got a BFA, and that was in painting so I was using oils. I hope to have a website some day, when I build up my portfolio. I think my style has changed alot and I'm moving in a different direction so my older work will just probably remain unseen. I guess I am just really starting over with my art.

Thanks both of you for your sweet comments!!! I really appreciate it!!!

Hi eysha, oh gosh, I have no idea what colors Im using. I have a case of 120 giraults and a few others. Maybe about 150 total.

I'm just working on the seat right now. So I just drew the pattern as I went, then I started to block in the color. It's pretty crude looking right now. I will be putting in a lot more details now. Lots of different colors. I just put down small pieces of color where I see they need to go. I'm sorry I'm so bad at explaining things! I will try to do a WIP soon and I'll try to explain better. :)

[Mair]

No words to describe this. Absolutely amazing! Bravo!

[Cleo]

Awe inspiring :)


Could you maybe post a digi-pic with your hand in shot...so we can get a feel for the dimensions ?



Cleo

[lucky]

Thanks Marion! Thanks Cleo!

Didn't have much time to work on it this weekend, just did a little bit. Have tons more to do still...

Here you go Cleo.

[Cleo]

Thanks Lucky....that's a great amount of detail per square inch !!! :D


Good luck with the final touches. Your Gran will love it !





Cleo

[oozoo]

WOW!!! I'm so glad you posted this as a WIP!! I remember it from the art space thread. It's even more beautiful than I remembered :) This level of realism is difficult for many people to get from pastels...I'd love to hear about your technique! What kind of pastels do you use (as in size)? Do you use pastel pencils along with the pastels for those fine details? Do you blend with finger, tortillion, colour shapers, how? Great job!!

[Belinda]

wow this is fabulous big clap :) well done :)

[Arlene]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[Denise]

Yes, Lucky...what do you use for blending? I have a strong desire to work in pastel...the colors are so vibrant, I find myself really drawn to it....

Had started taking a pastel course several years ago...went to one class, got all the stuff, then we had a family tragedy that took me out of state for almost 2 months...class was over when I returned.....no refunds, no make-ups.....now, no cash to take a class ;)

[lucky]

Hi Cleo, yeah it is a lot of detail but a lot of it is pretty loose, especially the dolls and stuff in the background.

Thanks Belinda and Arlene. I'm having a great time working on this one. It's nice to see my grandmas face every morning :)

Oozoo & Denise, I'm using regular pastels sticks. No pastel pencils. I've tried a couple but they seem to scratch the surface too much and they just don't seem to lay the color down that nicely, maybe I haven't found the right brand yet. But for now the little sticks work fine. You can always find a little pointy edge to get the details. And its great to lay them on their side and cover a big space quickly. Here's a pic. of some of the pastels I'm using.

I just use my fingers to blend. It might not be the best way to do it, I hope the oils from my hands aren't going to hurt the peice in the future. And in lots of ares I dont blend at all.

Denise, you really should just give it a go. They're so much fun and you'll learn a lot from just playing around. Sorry about your class. Hmmm, well I wish I was better at teaching what I know (which isn't all that much yet), maybe some day. You are free to jump in and learn with me! :D Well, it seems like there are lots of people here interested in pastels so maybe when Im done with this one we can all work on a peice together and learn at the same time?

[oozoo]

That's such a great idea!! We do the CP projects...we should post a pastel project!!

[Denise]

I'll jump in...after the onion.....

[lucky]

O.k. after the onion. :) And dont worry I still have a long way to go on this one....

Here's the latest.... Still have to finish the seat, carpet, her feet, her pinkie, and deepen some shadows (thanks Gaka), and lots of other touch ups...

(sorry for the bad photo)

[Denise]

I love looking at this, Lucky. :D

I have been making everyone look at this.....and all reactions have been the same...WOW....THAT"S AMAZING!!

I can't wait to hear about your grandma's reaction.....has anyone else in the family seen this yet?

[Arlene]

I would deepen the area to the left of the column alot more. otherwise it's looking great.

[Meisie]

Wonderful!

Meisie

[Gemma]

This is absolutely wonderful!!

Gemma

[oozoo]

I am just amazed at the level of detail in this!! I went out and bought suede paper because of this posting...we'll see if I'm able to do anything worthwhile with it :blushing:

[lucky]

Denise, I bet you are the sunshine on a cloudy day! :D :D :D

My dad, and brothers have seen it, in emails. So far they all really liked it, hope grandma feels the same way.

Thanks Meisie and Gemma!!!

Arlene, I don't quite understand what you mean by column. But If you mean to darken the wall left of the cabinet, I think you are right! And I've added that to my to do list.

Yeah Oozoo! I'm so glad you got some good paper! I hope you have a great time with it! Let me know if I can help at all, all though I don't know much yet, but I'll try. :p

[caulfield]

Siiiighhhh!!!!! Just so gorgeous! Thanks for the close-up a while back. It is amazing!

Nicole

[Arlene]

Arlene, I don't quite understand what you mean by column. But If you mean to darken the wall left of the cabinet, I think you are right! And I've added that to my to do list.
:p

yep i think that's where i meant...the cabinets to the far left.

[alison2]

Lucky,

I've been sat staring at the screen trying to think of something to say.

Wow doesn't seem enough....but what else is there?

It is beautiful - so real, so soft, and she looks like somebody nice - someone you'd like to know. You have such an incredible talent - thank you for sharing and I love the idea of a pastel project. I'm a beginner with a capital b, and rest of capitals come to that...but I'd certainly jump on board.

Alison
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[lucky]

Thanks Nicole.

Arlene, o.k. I know what you mean now, thanks. I am also getting some advice on another site to remove that bookshelf altogether. Gonna try to work some things out in photoshop, and hopefully get it looking better.

Thanks Alison!!! I'm so glad you think she looks nice, she really is! And so glad you like the pic. Maybe soon we can all start a pastel project if it's o.k. with the biggies of this site :) I know its mostly meant for pencil so I'll ask first.

Well here's the latest, sorry the pics not so good. I'm still working on her feet. Unfortunately I didn't take the best references and am having a really hard time making her toes. :( Hope to have it finished soon!!!

[Denise]

Denise, I bet you are the sunshine on a cloudy day! :D :D :D

awww...you're sweet:blushing: :D

I'm gonna have to look up new words in the dictionary to use...my vocabulary is gone......;) :p :D

Glad your family is loving it! Affirmation from those we love is sooo important.:D

[beth]

Just caught up with this, Lucky. It's breathtaking. The time you must need for this work is really paying off.

[Cleo]

All of it is rather lovely but the hands are especially beautiful :)

I'm turning into a groupie :rolleyes: :D





Cleo

[CindyH]

Simply amazing :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Nancy]

Oghh, Lucky .... I want to be like you when I grow up as an artist!! :D

This is incredible!! How ever did you get so many details, especially in her hands?? I wish I could do this with pastels. WOWIE!!! And the details in the background are amazing!!

Dang girl, you are one heck of an artist!!! You just blow me away! :eek: :D

[Arlene]

Thanks Alison!!! I'm so glad you think she looks nice, she really is! And so glad you like the pic. Maybe soon we can all start a pastel project if it's o.k. with the biggies of this site :) I know its mostly meant for pencil so I'll ask first.


of course you can start a project. just make sure it's a learning experience and please run it by either Gemma, myself or one of the moderators first. :)

[lucky]

Thanks again Denise,

Your right affirmation from loved ones feels wonderful. My big brother called me after I had sent him an email with this pic. just to tell me how much he liked it and to keep doing what I was doing. That meant so much to me,
not only because he called from Seattle to France, but because I was always the least talented with art in comparison to my big brothers. So to get nice compliments from them means the world.

Thank you Beth, I'm sure you can relate to the time thing with all your beautiful drawings! Sometimes towards the end though my patience seems to wear thin.

Hi Cindy, thank you!

Thank you Cleo and Nancy! You guys are great! I am nearing the end of this one so now I see things I should have done better, so your nice comments really mean a lot. Thanks!

Excellent Arlene! I am going to try to put something together about techniques and such soon. I will run it by someone first.
Thanks. :)

[lucky]

Testing.... Testing (please ignore me... just testing something) :)

[lucky]

Hi guys!

Well I'm still not finished yet! :( :o :)

Messed up the stuff on top of the cabinet when I knocked the drawing into the top of the easel, so just trying to fix that again. And also still having the same problems with the feet. So I wonder if it might look o.k. to put some little slip on tennis shoes on her, which she does own and wear a lot. Of course they'd look better than this, this is just an idea.... What do you think??? :confused:

Thanks!!!

~lucky

[Denise]

Hi Lucky!

While I'm certainly not an expert, I like the look of the open-toed shoes better....can't really tell you why...could be I have just grown accustomed to seeing the portrait that way....

what a bummer that you have to do touch ups! :annoyed: hope it's not too frustrating for you!:rolleyes:

[Rose]

Lucky,

I'm with Denise... I like portrait on the left... :-) Just looks more naturally for a grandma. I love what you have done with this portrait.. Just amazing! :D

[Meisie]

another vote for open toes ;)

Meisie

[lucky]

Thanks so much Denise, Rose, and Meisie! I haven't touched it for a while cause I've been trying to decide. I think you're all right. Open toed it is.... Ugh, hope I can do it. Toes are tough when you don't have a good reference! :o

[Toni]

Hey lucky!

gotta go with the open toes here too. Don't fret over them, approach them the same way you did the hands and remember.. less is more! Take a deep breath, relax and just do it. You obviously have the talent, just empty those thoughts out of your head and let it happen.

now as i look at this again, the tapistry on the seat behind Grandma is reading a little to flat to me, compared to the rest of the subtle detail the rest of the image has.

I did read the cafe' thread, your mom and I have a ton in common, from the outdoors/archery stuff, to the horses to the art, so give girl, who is she? Which part of Tucson is she in? ( you can pm me this lol)

and now your brothers are more talented than you? I find that hard to believe!

TJ

[artmasters]

Wow Lucky, this is fantastic! Your talent is awesome. Along with Toni's comments, I think that her skirt on her right leg seems a bit flat compared to the amazing detail of rest of your portrait. On my monitor it reads as a flat white shape. Perhaps a bit of shading on the bottom to help show the roundness of the leg might help. Other than that I'm amazed at how wondrful this is. I agree with Toni that I find it hard to believe that your brothers or anyone else for that matter is more talented than you. You have all the talent you need. I look forward to seeing all your wonderful work with all your talent!!!

Dave

[lucky]

Hi TJ,

Thanks so much for the suggestions and the vote of confidence!!! Yes I am stressed about it but I will try to relax when I get back to it, and try to keep it simple.

For the life of me I can not get the seat she’s on to look 3 dimensional! I thought changing the colors, and values could help, but it didn’t. I don’t know what else to do really. I guess this one will just sit on the wall for years to come, reminding me how much more I need to learn.

I will send you a pm after I tell my mom I’m setting her up with other artists. LOL! :D You guys just have way too much in common not to meet.

Dave,

Thanks for pointing that out. Having lots of problems here creating 3-dimensional areas. Im learning I need to take much more care with the reference photos. Unfortunately the lights got washed out so I have to fake what should be there. EEEK! :o

Thanks for all your nice comments! I really appreciate it!

~lucky

[artmasters]

I forgot to say that I vote for the open toed shoes also. Not because it is harder but because I think it looks and feels more correct for her. I know you can do it. If you need a reference, just have your husband take pictures of your feet in the same type of shoes in the same pose. Of course you will have to "age" them when you draw them. She may wish to have your younger feet, but it might not fit the portrait very well :o :) :p . I know you are up for it. I can't wait to see it all done!

Dave

[stampedinhisimage]

I wouldn't show this to your Grandma until you can have a medic on site!!! She will need to have a jump start on her heart because it's bound to stop when this picture takes her breath away, and the shock stops her heart. Really, I'm not kidding!!! The first pics of this I thought were a photograph.

If I were you I wouldn't worry one little bit about doing commissions. If I could afford it I would have you do one for me in a heartbeat.

My heart feels heavy in my chest right now, I can't explain it other than to say I yearn, I mean really YEARN to be able to do realism like this. I think maybe the heaviness is because I fear I will never come anywhere close to producing anything of value.

Congratulations on such a beautiful piece. Words really fail to convey my full feelings about this art.

[rosemary]

The French really really know pastel. What kind of pastel did you use, and did you use steam or anything to blend so perfectly. You are so talented.
What a gift. Rosemary

[glo]

Just stumbled here and I am so amazed at your developing talent in pastels. What you see as frustrating is simply awesome to the rest of us. Although I understand the perfection you strive for. Her feet are just a small part of the portrait. Sometimes when I'm having a problem with an object, I practice on another surface looking at it upsidedown or sideways to experiment with seeing it differently.
Your concern for taking on commissions is something I share and understand. But give us at ST more samples and we'll get you confident in no time. Not stressing over it is another. I'm a stressoholic myself.
But I love it so far and so will grandma. It shows your love for her.
Gloria

[lucky]

Hi everyone! Sorry for such a delayed response! This summer has been so busy!

Dave, Thanks again for your interest in this one. And I took your wonderful advice, had my husband take some pics of my feet then PS’ed them into her sandals. And it worked out great. Not the best feet ever but I think they work and now this one is complete! FINALLY!!!!!

So besides finishing the feet, I also lightened the seat more to try to get it to advance in the scene, put some more warmth in the skin tones of her face, and changed the stripes in her shirt to pink. I hope these things help! Do let me know even if they don’t as it will be helpful for the next one, but this one is officially done. :) Thanks to all of you for your nice comments and help during this portrait, can’t tell you how wonderful it has been to have your support.

Stamped, Thank you so much for your comments! I am still nervous about commissions but slowly getting more confidence cause of nice folks like you. Thanks a bunch. As for feeling like you want to create realistic art but don’t know that you can. You can! Really! I have so so much to learn! If you love to make the art it will show. Get lost in the moment and don’t try to focus too much on the results. I think that’s where the success really is.

Hi rosemary, I don’t know what using steam is with pastels. Have only done a few of them so far, just drawing directly on the paper, and smudging here and there with my fingers. Using girault pastels. I wish I could take credit for being a French pastelist, but I can’t – I’m American (living in France), but I appreciate it! Thanks.

Hi Gloria, Thanks so much for your nice comments! Ah yes a stressaholic! Well, its nice to be understood by other artists isn’t it!? Although I think I’m getting better but still have such huge moments of stress for the littlest things, such as toes. ha ha ha. At least I don’t strive for perfection anymore. And I think that has helped a lot! Thanks for your encouragement!

~lucky

(sorry about the camera distortions....)

[Brenda]

Just gorgeous, Lucky! I really like the changes you made to this. AND you finished the feet!!! Whoo hoo http://okrid.org/images/Emoticons/whoohoo.gif

Your grandmother will treasure this forever. It's certain to become a family heirloom. Wonderful work!

[lucky]

Thanks Brenda! Yeah! Finally finished the feet, don't know if it made my husband or me happier, to have that bit of a stressful area finished!!! Ha!:D

[Angela]

This is just oustanding! You should definitely give us a step by step of how you achieved this absolutely beautiful painterly look with your pastels. I have a set but am so afraid to use them!

[Toni]

Lucky..

This is amazing!

I see a natural talent, love for the subject and mastery of the medium. I certainly hope to see more.

You've created a wonderful family heirloom, your Grandmother will love it.

TJ

[marilyn h]

So much detail and with pastels. My goodness! Isn't this wonderful! I think you deserve a hugh hand of applause. :clap: :clap: :clap:

[artmasters]

Wow, this really looks fantastic!!!!!!!! The feet turned out wonderfully. Be proud of this because it is a pleasure to look at not just for the subject matter but for your technique. What more can I say than this is high quality art here. The sky's the limit with your talent. I see you've conquered your resistance on this one. (I finished the book you recomended yesterday) Thanks for the referal. I enjoyed it and it helped me identify what blocks us from becoming great. I look forward to see what you will do next! Just be prepared for all the new work that this will generate for you. Great job here!!! :clap: :clap: :clap:

Dave

[artfulscribe]

This is sooo beyond "portrait"...it's a work of art in the greatest sense of the word. I can see it hanging on a museum wall...it's THAT GOOD :D

I thought the hands were amazing, and you did just as an incredible job on the feet! Amazing!!

In total awe, here...such talent!

Roxana

[Orian]

Absolutley amazing. Very well done! :clap:

[CindyH]

Amazing work :clap: :clap: Do you use pastel pencils to get the details? Seems I saw where one of the pastel artists in the forum sharpens their regular pastels. Is that you or maybe it's Gaka?

[Meisie]

Wonderful Lucky!!! Incredible way to honour a beloved relative!

Meisie

[Cleo]

Cool :)






Cleo

[Denise]

I'm gonna have to reuse some of my already spent vocabulry here...either that or invent new superlatives....:rolleyes:


Lucky- this is the kind of masterful artwork that makes me cry...cry for the beauty, the color, the subject...it just stirs the soul...this is old masters quality work.....BRAVO!!!!!:clap::clap::clap:

of course I also cry cuz I'm not that good;)

Has she seen it yet???? Please tell us every detail of her reaction!

[Rose]

Wow, this is fantastic Lucky! I don't know what else to say, my sentiments have been reflected many times over for the last 20 posts or so! Great work and such talent! May your grandma enjoy this portrait for many years to come! She's "lucky" to have you as her granddaughter! :clap: :clap:

[lucky]

Angela, thank you. I’ll try to come up with a portrait wip sometime soon. Don’t be afraid of the pastels, just get them out and have fun! The worst part is they’re a little messy but that’s it. ;)

Thank you Toni, that means a lot. I hope she will love it.

Thank you so much Marlyn, Orian, and Meisie and Cleo!

Thanks Dave, yep it was tuff for a little bit there. I’m so glad you enjoyed the book. I think it had some great insights and I like that it was strait to the point. I think we’re all our own biggest obstacle. Thank you for all your kind words!

Roxana, that is so nice of you to say! Thank you, but let me admit it probably looks better here on screen than in real life. :o

Thanks Cindy, I don’t use pencils, and I don’t sharpen the pastels either, all though when I can afford more and to sharpen them and not worry about the wasted dust I’m sure I will. It would be much easier. Right now I just turn them around and try to find some part that stands out enough to make the details.

Ahh Denise, you are just too nice! Thanks for that. What a super nice compliment. Thanks I really appreciate it! Aaaaaaaaaah, no she hasn’t seen it yet. I don’t know why but I’m too afraid to send her an email with it. I’m afraid she might not like it…. But I know I need to send it soon.

Ah that was sweet, thanks Rose.

Really thanks all for your help and support!!! It’s so greatly appreciated!

~lucky

[larsnip]

Extraordinary !!! is all I can say.
the attention to detail is unbelieveable.
The love and study of your subject comes thru.
I'm sure this is much more dynamic in person.

Just wonderful work!


Dave

[Denise]

Ahh Denise, you are just too nice! Thanks for that. What a super nice compliment. Thanks I really appreciate it! Aaaaaaaaaah, no she hasn’t seen it yet. I don’t know why but I’m too afraid to send her an email with it. I’m afraid she might not like it…. But I know I need to send it soon.
~lucky

just tellin' the truth.....;)

don't be nervous...just do it! type the note, attach the image, hold your breath and hit send! If you can't bring yourself to do it, give me her email addy and I'll be happy to send it for you;) :D What are friends for;) :p

[hippiejane]

wow, wow, wow and all the other amazing words others have used. Your work is amazing. How do you get the light on her face so realsitic. Its amazing.
Your grandma must be soo proud. I hope one day to be as good as you, but by the looks of it, thats probably not possible......you are too good !
:clap:

[lucky]

Thanks a lot Dave! I’m glad you can see the love in it! Unfortunately now, is the stage where all I see are faults. Hopefully that'll pass soon! :)

Denise, I haven’t sent it yet…. I’m working up my courage though. :o

Hi hippiejane! Welcome to this great site! Thanks so much for your nice comments! I saw your rose in water and it is fantastic! And for a first you should be so proud! Your work is going to improve so fast, you already have great drawing skills. That’s the most important part!

Thanks again all!

[Gemma]

This is absolutely awesome.... makes me want to go learn pastels..... incredible!!!
Gemma

[Arlene]

:droppedja :droppedja :droppedja ok i do have one nit pick...that door frame on the right is bugging me. I think it would work alot better without it...can you make it the wall color instead or crop that little bit out?

ok two...the left side...can you darken the bg wall a bit more so the bookshelf doesn't compete wit your grandmother?

[Arlene]

ok i had to show you. here's yours first and the two changes i made. I took the easy way out and just cropped out the door frame.

[lucky]

Thanks Gemma! Thanks Arlene.

that door frame on the right is bugging me. I think it would work alot better without it...can you make it the wall color instead or crop that little bit out?.

mmmmmm, probably not anymore.

can you darken the bg wall a bit more so the bookshelf doesn't compete wit your grandmother?

Well, No. HA! :D :p Actually this one has been overworked, almost to death! But I thank you for your suggestions. Actually if I had it to do all over again I think it would have been much better with a modified background instead of leaving everything just as it is in the photo cause I was so stuck on it being a seen right from my grandmas house. I think both bookshelves to the sides probably shouldn’t have stayed in the final composition and instead just had a potted plant to the left. But oh well. Live and learn. ;) I hope to work harder on the initial planning stages in the future.

Thanks again!

~lucky

[larsnip]

Thanks a lot Dave! I’m glad you can see the love in it! Unfortunately now, is the stage where all I see are faults. Hopefully that'll pass soon! :)


Ya know, that stage just never passes for me. I just recently have taken to hanging my work, and all I could see is whats wrong with them :(
One solution I have found, is that now I'm doing my own framing , so now, all I see is whats wrong with the matts and framing :bangin: I see less fault in the work :rolleyes:

don't cha hate these picky artist types :bye1:

Dave

[Meisie]

ROFLOL, Dave you have a problem on your hands :D:D:D

Meisie

[marilyn h]

Matting and framing takes out a lot of flaws of anyones work. It is marvelous after it is done. Doing your own, you learn a whole lot of naughty vocabulary. Some times, every thing has a red tint. LOL!

[raye]

This is really unbelievable! So much detail hard to believe......
Raye

[lucky]

Thank you Raye!

Ya know, that stage just never passes for me. I just recently have taken to hanging my work, and all I could see is whats wrong with them :(
One solution I have found, is that now I'm doing my own framing , so now, all I see is whats wrong with the matts and framing :bangin: I see less fault in the work :rolleyes:

don't cha hate these picky artist types :bye1:

HA ha ha Dave and Marilyn!!!! I know exactly what you’re talking about!!!! This is hilarious! Really what is wrong with us!? ;)

I entered one CPSA show, and I didn’t have the money to get it professionally framed, so did it myself. Oh my! What a nightmare! I couldn’t stop dwelling on the little lines I cut too far into the corners of the mat, that of course my husband couldn’t see! And that the bevel wasn’t at exactly the same degrees all the way around! We’re such a funny bunch. I’m so glad there are actually people out there who love us inspite of our craziness! :D

[fabio]

STUNNING :eek: when I see works like this I get depressed because i know I will not be never able to make it :crybaby: . By the way, fantastic work. it could be exposed in a art gallery!