Reclining children
 

This is a 14" x 22" colored pencil drawing on toned Canson paper. I am giving it to my mother-in-law for her birthday. The girls were lying on a white sheet on a hardwood floor. There was a brick ledge behind them at an angle, that is in front of the fireplace. My sister-in-law told me to leave it alone. She says it looks great. I have a triple mat cut that is taupe, charcoal, and oyster white with a pewter frame. I guess I should set it down for a couple of days. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Rebecca

Close up of face.

Close up of face 2.

The pencil strokes are smoother on the original. Scanning the image and the low res size to post it really makes it look choppy.

So nice!
 

I have really enjoyed looking at all of your colored pencil pieces, and this one is really beautiful! I love your style. It is so soft and so gentle, and perfect for the subjects you chose. I especially like the treatment of the curly hair, and their eyes are so big and innocent; just great!

I think a bit of a background could actually be very nice and really help to pop those girls out, as long as it is not very detailed. Maybe just impressions of the background objects in a varied shape sort of tonal manner. Hope that makes some sort of sense.

p. s. I really love your piece with the girls at the pond/lake with the ducks! It is so GREAT! :sunnysmil

Thanks, Carolyn!

I have started to lay in some background. I love working with toned papers and colored pencils. The little girls in this piece and in the other pieces are mine. I don't know if you are familiar with her work, but you should look up Ann Kullberg's web site. She is listed on this Forum. She does wonderful colored pencil work. She also has an emagazine. I think you would enjoy it!

Rebecca

Rebecca,

Very tender piece, I'm sure your mother-in-law will love it. You said you were laying in some background. I'd like to see more mass underneath them too, more definition to the sheet. You really can't tell it is a sheet right now. I know you haven't finished it yet. Post it when you update it. My colored pencils should be in in a few days, you've inspired me to try it.

Your girls are beautiful!
 

What great subjects you have to work from! I saw the picture of you with your daughter in the introduction area (I think?) And that is a wonderful picture! I really hope you use it, and do a piece from it. Your daughter looks just like a girl from a Bouguereau painting.

I have seen Ann Kullberg's site. She is really great!

Carolyn,

Thank you ! I think my children are beautiful, but I am partial! They are really troopers when it comes to their mommy snapping pictures of them all of the time. Their father, on the other hand, complains about the rolls and rolls of film that have to be developed. He will appreciate it one day though! Don't forget to post the finished piece that I saw in your introduction. I look forward to it!

Rebecca

Piece from introduction section
 

I posted that piece in the Other mediums section,http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...&threadid=1336 because the scarf and cuff are collaged. It would be great if you would take a look and give me your opinions! I will be taking slides of the finished piece either tomorrow or Saturday, so any feedback would be great! (If you get the chance of course.) :)

Rebecca - you might be ready to try a digital camera. Your accountant could show you how to best expense it....:)

Carolyn,

I will go there next! I can't wait to see it!

Mari,

I am currently shopping. I have an Canon EOS 35mm with various lenses and I am looking at getting the new Canon D60. It will accept all of my current accessories and has a whopping 6.85 megapixels! I take a lot of wildlife shots and I need that 75-300mm lens. Regular digitals do not have the zoom capabilities that I need! Of course the bad thing is the cost. But it will save me a bundle in film and developing!

If you have any suggestions, I am certainly interested!

Rebecca

I don't have any specific recommendations, but the canon sounds great, as does the Nikon D-100. I have a Canon PowerShot A20, 2.1 mega pixels, but it's not like using my old Nikon SLR - the older digitals are much more comparable to the old point-and-shoot cameras. Artists need more control over light than it provides.

Check out the link William Whitaker provides under the digital camera area of this forum. The new 5+ megapixels rely on a new chip. I've read that they are truly the first digital camera to make 35mm film obsolete. Your SLR lenses work, which is much more practical than what I'm used to in the "disposable" electronics market.

Of course realist painters deal primarily with light on form, and I haven't had the pleasure of working with one of these wonder cameras first hand. I'll wait for the price to come down, or for the demand (commissions) to warrant the expense. Keep me posted on your research!

Look here http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...&threadid=1336 for a wealth of information on digital camreas.