Profile

Jaime Pressly

Jessica Alba

Mia Maestro

Alena Seredova

Ali Landry

While I'm far from mastery of even the art of faces, I'm trying to find subjects which have new challenges, different angles, complex shading, or (worst of all) hands and feet. Initially I wasn't going to post this because of the flaws I can see in it, but that wouldn't be very truthful now, would it? Much like the mindset since I started taking photos in earnest, my brain now automatically looks for material which would be interesting to draw too.

Heidi Klum

I had a couple of goes at getting the face right, and still wasn't very successful. Part of the problem with working at A5 size instead of A4. The new sketchbook I bought on Friday is upsized, so when I start using that I might get some better results on the non-portrait drawings I'm doing, with extra room to move.

Technique

I tried a different technique to indicate shade in this one, to avoid it being overwhelmed by black and grey. You can't really see it in the small size picture, but I like how it turned out.

Natalie Portman

Ashley Scott

Laetitia Casta

More shading, specially for Em. Plus I like the shaded ones too!

Usually I draw the face then layer shadows on top, but in this one I started with the shape of the shadow and filled in features afterwards. I think it worked well :)

Gemma Atkinson

Rachel Stevens

Shiri Appleby

Nikki Visser

Amy Acker

Sandra Bullock

More shading

While it's (much) more time consuming, I like drawing pictures where the reference has interesting shadows. Here's what happens when I get carried away with too much shading...

Nicky Whelan

Evangeline Lilly

Amy Acker

Christina Ricci

Neve Campbell

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Salma Hayek

Just for a change from drawing faces...

Jennifer Connelly

Tiffani Thiessen

Ziyi Zhang

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Lindsay Lohan

Ali Larter

So, rather than trying to perfect that same picture, I thought I'd try a different perspective. I think this one's been more successful (although a bit unbalanced).

Ifatfirst...

Take this:

Start from scratch three separate times, and get these:

I think it's improving, but still not right, so maybe I'll return to it again some day. It's been a nice test of patience and persistence, though! My brain (or my hand) keeps forcing everything level, so I think I'm going to have to resort to tilting the paper to get any kind of lean going.

Snorts Akimbo

Randomly surveying the interior of six curtained homesteads was hardly a job for Mr. Chronograph, but he had been coerced into this subservient task by his arch-nemesis Vanzo the Vainglorious. Coerced, bullied and handsomely paid. Old Chroney (as the young, handsome and wealthy Mr. Chronograph liked to call himself) was having a splendid time!

"Ah, Old Chroney, what has your magnificent life come to?" he asked himself aloud in the third person. "Why, startling magnificence I would think, Old Chroney!" came his steadfast, yet stertorous, reply.

"Well, if it isn't Vanzo the Vainglorious!" boomed Vanzo, announcing his own entrance.

"For an arch-nemesis you seem to be treating Old Chroney quite well!" bellowed Mr. Chronograph across the cavernous foyer of homestead number four.

"Arch-nemesis smarch-nemesis!" pfawwed Vanzo, "Let's be friends instead!"

"Yes, let's Vanzo and Old Chroney indeed be friends!" exalted Mr. Chronograph.

They celebrated with much snorting and merriment.

THE END

Jewel Staite

David Tennant

I'd always planned a Doctor Who return, so here's my second go.

Billie Piper

Woman in a garden

This is also from high school, a pencil drawing sadly damaged by insects in my neglect:

Compare to the real thing from Monet:

and my never completed painted version:

Pretty much anyone that knows me will have heard of my misplaced art rebellion, where I defiantly said "Why should I try to copy a grand master in the same medium?". This story was based on my recollection that I never really even started the painted version. Having rediscovered it, I find it possible that I was just getting lazy and restless for an escape from Year 10, since I'd actually made some decent progress.

Eagle

Ok, I'm stealing from the past again with this one, a drawing I did back in high school, which is still one my favourite efforts. Evidence of my greater patience and commitment in the past. It's actually framed, so I had to take a photo of it, rather than scanning.