The Start of

Lil Cowboy

Pastel on Sanded Paper

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

A bit more progress on Liza in the window

I'm working on  getting her smile just right.  

It's somewhere between a smirk and a smile.

Happy Mother's Day!

Me with George and Liza at a horseshow.

George is always a gremlin for pictures.

Where did those years go?
Aintree Horse Show

David last summer in Harbor Springs MI

               Liza and Cotton in Pumpkin Patch                                      George holding Dixie      

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

My third day after beginning this portrait.  


 This is where things get really slow.  It is like when a house goes up.  


The studs and exterior seem to fly up and then it takes forever to finish.


Getting the values (the relative darks to lights) is really important at this stage.   


 The darkest dark is the black of the marble floor and the pupils in her eyes.


The greens in the curtain and the vegetation in the background is the next darkest--and a close third --the darks in her hair. 


The darks in the vegetation behind  Liza's head are not as dark in the painting as they appear in this posted photo.   


When you are working from a photo it is very important to note that shadows will look black especially on a print. They are not to be painted this dark.


With digital editing you can sometimes lighten the shadows-but not always.


If you can work from life it helps to note the correct color notes and then use this as your study when you are finishing in the studio.


The lightest light is in her dress, the curtain lining and the light parts in her face and eyes.   Another light is the sun sparkling through the leaves.


My goal is to orchestrate the lights and darks so the emphasis is on LIza and then her surroundings.


      


The alignment of the blacks in the marble floor need straightening.     I love the way her shoes are really shown off against the black floor.


Did i mention how cute I think the shoes are?   Just kidding ---it is in a previous post.

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

"Liza in the Window"

The camera is tricky.  The colors in the painting are not as dark as shown here.

When working with photo references it is always important to know that shadows are never as dark as the photograph shows.

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

A Variety of Textures!

A new portrait in pastel on sanded paper

This  portrait is going to be so much fun to do with different challenges.

The  greens in the plants behind her 

The softness of the folding curtains 

The  linear direction of the woodwork  

The hard marble surface   

The rough exterior bricks

The softness of the face

I love the texture of the rough brick juxtaposed against the softness of the child's face.

Such a  sweet expression.

I love the little bows on her shoes and the way she has her feet turned. 

In defense of our crazy people

Designing women was one of my all time favorite shows from the 80's.


I love this excerpt about the South's crazy people!