Portrait Process

Another portrait may be finished. The mom has to see and approve. She knows the “children” (they are teenagers) and I merely know what they look like in the photos.                                                                        There are such subtle differences in faces, and the tiniest difference, the mere point of a pencil width off, one edge of one smile line just a smidge too hard, one miniature spot of shadow just a tad too dark, and I have drawn the guy’s cousin!  Here is how I draw faces: 1. photograph the subject one to three dozen times 2. choose a small handful of possible pictures 3. let the customer decide 4. get prints made of the ones that will be used (sometimes it takes many photos) 5. pray like crazy 6. start drawing 7. pray some more 8. turn it all upside down and compare every 1/8 inch of photos to drawing 9. pray again 10. compare the photos to the drawings 1/2 at a time vertically 11. compare again horizontally 12. make microscopic changes 13. pray some more 14. show the customer and wait to hear if it is finished.  This is the short version of what is involved in a portrait. I cannot bear to put in writing what the long version is – I might need to go lie down for awhile with my thumb in my mouth if I write it!                                                 Since the Mom hasn’t seen the portrait yet, have a look at this nice man I drew 2 years ago: (okay, I never actually met him, but he looks nice!)