Portraits at the San Antonio Rodeo

Double quick-sketch portrait (conte pencil and pastel, 12x15)

I know!! I haven't posted in a LONG time!

Well, January was way too short a month to take "off", trying to catch up with paperwork and taxes (which I still haven't done, lol) and now it's the middle of February and the San Antonio Rodeo! Can you believe I've been sketching portraits there since 1994?! How time flies!

I especially wanted to post this portrait because I drew this girl four years ago, AND took a photo of it! I do get various people back to be drawn year after year, but it's memorable for me to get someone whom I felt I drew well enough to want to photograph the portrait...

quick-sketch portrait 2012

Now she's married and had her portrait with her husband. Here they are with their portrait from yesterday!

The rodeo continues through February 28. You can find me on the floor of the Freeman Coliseum, right down the stairs from the front entrance.

For more rodeo info, see their website at www.sarodeo.com.

Family Quick-Sketch Portraits

 Mother and Daughter (sepia conte and white pastel, 15x12 inches)

 Father and Son (sepia conte and white pastel, 15x12 inches)

 This Houston client had contacted me months ago to schedule a place and time to get his family's portraits drawn in the quick-sketch style. I had drawn them all years ago and he wanted an update. After several 'almost' appointments, our schedules finally connected in June.

Below are the happy customers! Thank you Kevin and family!

Stay Tuned! Another "Quick-Sketch Portrait" workshop is in the works at the New Braunfels Art League, back by popular demand!

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Nancy - 15 minute Quick Sketch Portrait

"Nancy"  (approx. 17x13 inches)  sold

Boy, I've had a busy weekend! My 2-woman show opened at Cactus Jack's with a reception on Friday evening, demos by Jeannette and I on Saturday, a caricature gig on Saturday evening, and another demo on Sunday for the Austin Pastel Society.

Well, I don't quite have pics of either demo yet, so today I'm going to promote my Quick-Sketch Portrait Workshop next weekend at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery. Last month I was fortunate to have demonstrated at the September meeting of the Art League. Here I want to show you one of the 4 quick portrait sketches that I did that evening. This is Nancy, a past president of the New Braunfels Art League. I believe this sketch took me about 16 minutes, but I was talking and answering questions as I drew. My average time for a portrait like this is about 12 minutes. When I'm really in a rush, I have been clocked at 7 and 1/2 minutes. Admittedly, that's with not much shading. But I still got a decent likeness.

I do these sketches at the San Antonio Rodeo in February each year, and also at a craft show at Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio for about 3 weeks at Christmastime.

I'm offering a workshop to teach this method and philosophy of drawing the portrait very quickly, next weekend, Nov 2-4, 2012, at the New Braunfels Art League. Click Here for an informational flyer! There are still just a few spaces left in the workshop, for anyone interested and close by!

Below are the progression shots of Nancy's portrait.

The Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 18

(the portrait sketch: conte and pastel, 15x12 inches)

Well, the Rodeo is over now, whew! It went by fast, but it's always exhausting, especially the tear-down and pack-up! Sunday was the last day, and here's a sketch of a mother and daughter. I think I got a great likeness in the faces, but I didn't quite do justice to the hair styles.. Fitting two faces on the same page, while keeping in mind the size of the matting in hopes that one can sell a frame with the portrait, can sometimes be a challenge!

This Thursday and Friday is my workshop in Rockdale, TX, "Pastel in Miniature". I may not have time to post again until Sunday, but I'll be sure to try and get some shots from the workshop!

The Quick-Sketch Portraits - day 16 and 17

(The portrait sketch: conte and pastel, 15x12 inches, about 15 minutes per face)

Today, the last Saturday of the San Antonio Rodeo, was our busiest yet! I did several portraits that I would have liked to photograph, but when I get in that 'zone' of busy-ness, I don't want to stop for anything that might delay the next customer in the chair!
For this one, though, I made an exception. This couple was so distinctive looking, the portrait almost drew itself. Now I wish the lady hadn't been half hiding behind the frame in this shot -- I loved her hair! It had a life of it's own, floating around her head in fluffy waves!

I've been proud of myself for being so consistent in posting through this entire busy event. I was sorry to miss posting yesterday, but my body demanded sleep instead!
So here I've included twin portraits from Friday, literally. These ladies are identical twins who 'like to look different,' evidenced by the fact that one sister had her moles removed. I recognized a family resemblance, but never would have thought that they were identical until they told me.

...and her sister:

Scotty (and the Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 15)

"Scotty"  (pastel, 7x5 inches)  sold

OK, I've drawn this calf I think 3 times now ("Flekk", and "Spot"-reversed and with a smaller spot) I've decide that I finally need to get out and replenish my supply of photos, because I'm using up my supply and I find I'm getting drawn back to all my favorite pics that I've already painted! I guess there's nothing wrong with that - my paintings have evolved over the last year. I could probably start over with the same images and repaint them all, and they'd all be very different! But for my own need for variety and freshness, I do need some new references.

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Here is today's Quick-Sketch portrait from the San Antonio Rodeo. I did several more as it got close to closing time, but I tend to get into the 'fast' mode when there's a rush, and I don't want to take the extra minute to ask if I can photograph the model with the portrait.

The Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 14

(conte and pastel, 15x12 inches)

Today was a busy day. No time for a cow painting. This was my favorite quick-sketch of the evening at the San Antonio Rodeo. Her father dropped of her photo and picked up the portrait near closing time. He has another photo to bring back tomorrow!

The Quick-Sketch Portrait -day 13

Here's today's Quick-Sketch Portrait selection from the San Antonio Rodeo. This one took about 10 minutes per face.

Scarlett (and the Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 12)

"Scarlett"  (pastel, 6x6 inches)  click here to bid

Titling one's painting is definitely part of the creative process (or struggle, as it may be!) And I admit, after 100+, names for ranch animals are beginning to be hard for me to think up without repeating any. Sometimes I'll simply consider whatever name first pops into my head, and if it doesn't seem overtly wrong, I'll go with it. Sometimes I'm lucky, and the name is obvious from the first look at the photo reference.
This one took some thought. No name seemed to fit, that I hadn't already used. Then I decide to ignore the look and coloring of the cow, and began to look for clues in the painting itself. This is a more contemporary feel, bold colors, in-your-face pose. She looked to me as if she was on a stage, like a starlet. Ah! The rhyming "Scarlett" popped into place. I laughed. "There's not much red in this painting," I thought. But then my odd sense of humor said "It's perfect!" What else could you name a black and white bovine stage actress on a blue and gold field?

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And here's today's Quick-Sketch portrait from the rodeo. It was a day for cowboy hats!

Circus (and the Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 11)

"Circus"  (pastel, 6x6 inches)    sold

I love how her face looks like circus makeup.

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And here's my quick-sketch of the day, from the San Antonio rodeo. With the color option this time! This young lady had the perfect 'model' smile, and held perfectly still throughout the entire 20 minute portrait.

Linus (and the Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 10)

"Linus"  (pastel, 6x6 inches)   sold

I finished this one this morning, and didn't quite have enough time to complete the next.  Another busy Saturday at the Rodeo!

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Speaking of ...  Here's today's last Quick-Sketch. I was exhausted and ready to go home, but this couple's contagious optimism gave me the burst of creative energy I needed to make this one of the best sketches of the day!

Curly (and the Quick-Sketch Portrait - day 9)

"Curly"  (pastel, 6x6 inches)  sold

I decide to move to a 6x6 format for some pastel cows. I'm finding some great shots that crop much better as a square than as a rectangle. I managed to take some progression photos of  Curly:

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Below is my Quick Sketch selection from today at the rodeo!
This lady had her portrait drawn once before (not by me!) and said it didn't look like her. She took a chance on mine, and was quite happy!