Starting
Starting points
Christmas is almost here, I have to get my new greeting card ready to send it to all my relatives.
For years (if not ever), I have been sending a picture of my children, based on a drawing worked on my computer. This year it will be a watercolor, of course!
So what are the requirements?
- The subject is imposed: a portrait of the 3 darlings. I had made arrangements by asking the children to a Balinese Barong, · in the hallway of the hotel. So the model is ready.
- The Barong is very strong in color, with marked forms. I'll have to represent it without encroaching on the main subject: : my children.
- I don't want to copy picture. While browsing the web, I saw watercolors portrait smade by Stéphane Heurion which I liked very much, and I therefore wish to take inspiration from his style.
The drawing
The drawing
Three portraits over the statue, that's a lot of graphics. I choose a block format, sized 33X34, 5 cm, take my marks on tracing paper, and draw directly on the target picture.
The line should thin to be completely erased once the paint in place. So, it is not easy to reproduce in a photo the original drawing, as it is drawn very light contrast.
Thanks to Photoshop and many trials, I finally succeed into giving an idea.
Sketches
Sketches
It won't be easy to put this picture in color. As indicated in the starting points, I wish adopting a more abstract style ... Finally figurative anyway.
In short, a sketch is needed. Having spent a day preparing the drawing, I fear a bit to do it again on an A4. But valiant hearts fear nothing.
I begin with Gabrielle's hair looking for the dark areas and shaping the face with a light from the top right of the picture.
For Loriane, it's easier for her hair is darker and makes it easier to contrast. I start in blue (hence the question of the concerned person: · "The picture is fine, but why is my hair so blue?").
Then I go for the Barong, trying to keep it to the foreground. But once the Barong is finished, the girls look very pale. I must therefore enhence the faces and tones.
The sketch is over, I'll use this technique on the final picture ... Next week!
Faces
Faces
Let us keep going with the faces, Gabrielle comes first.
Since I drew the sketch, I continued the study by another graphite pen sketch, then a new watercolor. The question for me is how to represent the volume and brightness of her hair.
The portrait is still lacking some constrast, I'll have to fix this; well we'll see.
Loriane's turn now: for her too, I have drawn many sketches, and I can paint a picture with more determination than I had for drawing Gabrielle.
Finally, Gauthier, for who I have done no testing. I continue on the same technique as for Loriane: identical skin tones, with a wet on wet paint, wide stroked and contrasted hair.
On his face, i add some cereulum blue to mark the shadow. He's a boy, I have less fear of spoiling his formal beauty.
The Barong
The Barong
The barong is painted broadly, by successive tones.
The barong is completed, now I have to finalize the figures.
Last details
I have to complete Gabrielle's dress and Gauthier's shirt, then paint the finishing touches.
Gabrielle's dress is easy to paint for I already did it more than 3 times. I paint washes of blue and purple, and gradually add the pattern of the dress.
For the shirt, I use violet and blue, to remain in the overall tone.
This is it
The painting is finished, now is time to prepare the greeting card, quick Christmas is coming!
