Nance Family Portrait

 

"Nance Family Portrait" (conte and pastel pencil, 24x36 inches)

This was a super duper family portrait commission from last month. 13 faces from 10 photos! Watch a (slightly slower) 7-minute speed video of this portrait process, along with some conversation about my portrait career, here!

For info on how to commission a pencil portrait like this, visit RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.

Day 5 of 30 - Life drawing with the NODG

 

"Shadiya in the Mirror" (pastel pencil and pastel, 12x16 inches)

I was honored to be the guest artist at the New Orleans Drawing Group on Thursday evening, to have a Q&A after the drawing session. I was not required to draw, but I decided what the heck why not? It had been a VEERRY long time since I had done any life drawing so I thought it would be good for me.

I'm so glad I did! The model for the evening, Shadiyah Curione, had very imaginative and challenging poses. The long pose is above. I had to go in for dinner for most of it, but I caught the first 20 minutes and the last 15 or so. So this drawing took about 35 minutes. The light was from a candle near the hand mirror on the table (not drawn) The light was so amazing, it was hard to do it justice. 

See more of the other artists' paintings and drawings of Shadiyah on the NODG Facebook group page

Below (cringe) are my 1-minute (marker on smooth paper) and 5-minute (roll-point pen on sketch paper) drawings. I really needed the warm-up!

And by the way, in case you missed this message earlier, I need to tell you something!

The Feedburner team announced that their email subscription service will be discontinued in July 2021. As a result, Blogger’s email subscription widget, also known as FollowByEmail, will be turned off. Specifically, the email subscription system will no longer work and subscribers to Google blogs will no longer receive email updates.

SO! If you're receiving this post via email, I thank you for your subscription, but you will no longer be getting these delivered to you from my Google Blog after next month. 

But don't despair! Here are two ways you can still get my (almost) Daily Paintings in your inbox!

#1 - Sign up for my website's New Art Alerts. I basically have been pasting the same info into my website art posts as I do here, so you won't be missing a thing. CLICK HERE to get my New Art Alerts from my website at RitaKirkman.com.

#2 - Follow my public Patreon Posts. Sure, Patreon is a subscription-based creative support platform, but you don't have to pay anything for my public posts, and just about all of my new work gets posted on my Patreon page, usually with cool little extras like progress pics or short speed videos (like the one linked above!) CLICK HERE to go to my Patreon Page and right below the membership levels, next to a button that says "share" is a button that says "follow". It's that easy! (Browse around my other free posts while you're in there..)

Thanks so much for liking my work and following my blog. Here's to many more years of following my Website or my Patreon, and to many more years of creating!

Day 25 - Mya

"Mya" (conte and pastel pencil, 10x8) sold

Day 25 of my 31-in-31 for January!

Well, I wanted to paint today, but instead I had a severe case of the Wells Fargo QFX Download Blues. (sigh).

So, here's another cute puppy from last month's commissions.

See more pencil portraits at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.

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Day 9 - A Graduation

"A Graduation" (conte and pastel pencils, 10x8 inches, from client photo) sold

Another commission from last month. One of my favorite challenges. Her photo was actually printed on a metal diploma, in one of those dot matrix prints that are used in newspapers. I took a photo of the photo so you could see what I mean...

Your monitor or device screen might play havoc with the patterns on this image, but click it and zoom in! Weird!

My client was super happy to have this portrait more clearly drawn. It was the only photo she had of herself at that age.

See more of my pencil portraits at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.

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Day 6 - A baby commission

Baby Sisters (conte and pastel pencil, 8x10 inches, from client photo)

Day 6 of my 31-in-31 for January.

Pressed for time today so here's a commission for last month. Cute little baby sisters, 10 months apart!

See more of my pencil portraits at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com
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Day 3 - Puppy portrait commission

A cute puppy (conte and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches, from client photo) sold

Day 3 of my 31-in-31 of January.

Took care of a bunch of paperwork today so I'm posting one of my favorite puppy portraits from the Christmas season.

See more of my pencil portraits at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.

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A portrait commission and a New Goal for a New Year

"Bible Study" (16x12, conte and pastel pencils, from client photo) sold

Well, another year is gone and a new year begins again.

I was thrown off my usual rhythm in November when my schedule had me in Montreal for a workshop and various other things kept me away from doing my annual 30-in-30 November challenge. Then I was largely offline most of December, immersed in portrait commissions at a Holiday craft show that I've been doing for decades.

It's strange and powerful this hold that the creative urge has over an artist. It's too easy to let it all slide and get caught up in other daily routines, errands, paperwork, dinner chores, and then another day is gone and nothing new has been created. But the urge is still there, like a craving.

Commission work is wonderful and is awesome for paying the bills, but when 99% of it is from client photos, it's not creation, it's copywork. It takes skill, yes, and occasionally one gets to copy a lovely image with exciting light and a decent composition, like the one above, but what the client still wants in the end is an accurate copy of their photo.

After a month of commissions (and more yet on my schedule) I'm dying to dive back into my own ideas. The distractions and excuses are still loud: my database broke, the paperwork is overflowing, one of my hard drives is glitching, and the master closet is scary. But I have decided that the only way I'll be able to really get back to work is to tell someone I'm going to do it! (Because I'm a woman of my word.)

So here it is: I'm going to jump start my 2020 with a 31-in-31 month of posts!

Fine print: I will be using the Leslie Saeta set of rules for my 31-in-31, so if I don't paint a new painting every day, I'll be able to fill in with some of the portraits I did last month (starting with this one.) But I will be posting something that has not been posted before, every day this month!

Thanks for following along with my journey, stay tuned for more, and let me know what you think!

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PS: see more Detailed Pencil Portraits on my drawings site RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.

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Emma - a poodle commission

"Emma" (conte and pastel pencil, 12x16, from client photos) sold

It's that time of year when my focus returns to the commissioned portraits almost exclusively. Hard to believe another Christmas is just around the corner! This adorable and beloved poodle's human saw my work at the Main Street Fort Worth Art Festival last year and commissioned this drawing of her darling Emma, from 3 separate photos of her. (I flipped one of the pics to improve the composition.)

November had been my traditional "30-in-30" month for the past several years, when I would paint and post every day, completing 30 paintings in the month. That changed this year when I was invited to be a caricature artist at my home town's ever-popular and classic annual German festival, Wurstfest, which runs for 10 days in early November each year. (Only waited about 25 years for the spot, lol! Read more in my newsletter here!)

So now I'm out here enjoying the Wursfest and in between caricatures I'm getting a jump on some Holiday commission work in advance of the annual craft show at Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio next month (which I've been doing for a long time!)

If you like my portrait drawings, feel free to share my site RitaKirkmanDrawings.com, and let your friends know there's still time to order for Christmas!

Thanks, I appreciate you!

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Roxy - a Quick-Sketch Portrait

"Roxy" (pastel, 16x12 inches) sold

This is one of what I call my "quick-sketch" portraits. These are very popular in the Holiday Season and throughout the year as a lower-priced gift option, at $75/face.
I use burnt umber and white pastels, and sometimes sepia conte pencils (more of the pencils on human faces.) These take about 30-40 minutes from a photo, or 15-20 minutes from life (mostly with still-sitting humans for that kind of timing!)

This is one of my portrait options at Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio during their Christmas craft show. The dates this year will be December 6-24, 2019. If you want to order early and beat the rush, just send me an inquiry through my pencil portrait site, RitaKirkmanDrawings.com, and mention "quick-sketch portrait".

Roxy's photo

 I can get one of these done by mail usually within 4-6 weeks, but in December it's quicker, as the portraits are all I do then. But if you need it shipped back in time for Christmas, don't wait!

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Sir Duke - a Pet Portrait Commission

"Sir Duke" (conte and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches) sold

This beautiful 7 year old Scottish Rough Collie was adopted from a kill shelter in
2014 by Bill and Arlene Wimp.

Sir Duke is now a certified Comfort/Therapy Dog with the PAWS for Service Comfort/Therapy dog organization. He is also a San Antonio Airport Ambassador with the Pups and Planes program.

Sir Duke spread's doggie joy and love to all he meets!


See more portrait samples at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.

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Buster - a Pencil Pet Portrait Commission

"Buster" (conte and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches) sold

One of my favorites from the Christmas season. I've been hibernating most of this month with paperwork and pecking away at some brand new award-winning (knock on wood!) pastel competition pieces for some looming show deadlines, so meanwhile I'll post a few of December's drawings.

See more pencil portraits at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com. (Good time to order for your Valentine!)

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Dash - the other Labradoodle Commission

"Dash" (pastel, 18x16 inches) sold

Dash is the "sister" of Speedo, and was commissioned at the same time for my client's children on the west coast. It's always a joy to paint such fluffy cuteness! I love my job!

 When working on this Chinese MingART pastel paper, I like to blend the base layers before continuing.

Dash and Speedo, together

For info on commissioning a pet portrait for your loved one, visit my Commission Info page and scroll down to Pet Portraits!

Thanks for watching! Please share!

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Speedo - A Labradoodle commission

"Speedo" (pastel, 18x16 inches) sold

This adorable Labradoodle is one of a pair that I did earlier this fall for a client on the east coast. He and his "sister" Dash (post coming soon) were an early Christmas gift for my client's kids in California. They've opened their gift and so now I can officially post the portraits!

My client wanted fairly large closeups of each dog; something that would have presence on a wall. I decided to use the MingART Chinese paper (now available from Amazon) because of it's almost infinite ability for pastel layering. I used the medium gray color.

Here's a peek at Speedo with Dash... stay tuned for Dash's post in a couple days...

For info on commissioning a pet portrait for your loved one, visit my Commission Info page and scroll down to Pet Portraits!

Thanks for watching! Please share!

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Day 29 - A Pencil Pet Portrait Commission, and Special Offer!

"Sugar" (10x8, conte and pastel pencil) sold

Day 29 of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days of November!

Though this is a drawing, not a painting, it still counts! I've been really getting into the Christmas  rush of commissioned portrait orders this month, and have already done a few, so I figured I'd use this one from last year as a stand-in for today's post (and ok, also because I didn't quite have the time to finish a little pastel today!)

This cute little gal was one that I also painted with her human, Jasmine, last Christmas. See "Sugar and Jasmine" here!

I was happy they wanted me to draw Sugar alone too, because I loved this photo!

"Sugar" photo

 If you or anyone you know might be interested in a pencil portrait as a unique and thoughtful Christmas gift for a friend (or for yourself!) you can see more samples and ordering info on my drawings site RitaKirkmanDrawings.com.  From now through December 12, 2018, mention this post and the code word SUGAR for 25% off your order!!

Thanks, and feel free to share!

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Sadie

"Sadie" (pastel, conte pencil and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches) sold

Just finished a pet portrait, but as is my habit, this one's not it. This is one of my favorites from the Christmas Season. I've started using actual black pastel (NuPastel) underlaying the dark tones instead of building all that up with the conte pencil. Much faster, and gives a nicer, deep black!

See more samples and ordering info on my pencil portrait site www.ritakirkmandrawings.com.

Taffy

"Taffy" (conte and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches) sold

Another adorable pooch from the Holiday Season. See more samples and ordering info at www.ritakirkmandrawings.com.

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A Tender Moment

"A Tender Moment" (conte and pastel pencil, 16x13 inches)  sold

One of my favorites from the Christmas Season.  It's not too soon to be thinking of Valentine's Day!

See more samples and ordering information at ritakirkmandrawings.com.

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Chloe through the years

"Chloe" (conte and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches) sold (commission yours for $150!)

I've drawn Chloe every year since she was two. Some years I've drawn her two or three times. I think she must be about 18 now, but I don't like to think about it because it makes me feel old, lol! No, really I think it's wonderful to watch a beautiful girl grow up!

Here are some other portraits of Chloe through the years...

Chloe and her mom

And last year Chloe's mom Clover added an album to Facebook, showing many of the portraits I've done for their family, including some of the cousins and others... See it here! (if it's public)

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