Close your eyes and think of a quality you admire most about your mother. Perhaps you would describe her as calm, energetic, persevering, organized, friendly, or fierce!
Visualize what action could represent that quality.
One of the qualities I most admire about my mother is her willingness to listen and help people work out and through their challenges. Whenever friends or family members find themselves facing a tough moment, they always call Ro (Rosalba is her full name).
This study sketch is based on a photo I took when she was deep in the middle of a phone conversation. She always finds the time and the right words to give good advice and encouragement to all of us.
Ro also remembers the birthdays of everyone she knows. This includes family–my fourteen aunts and uncles and their spouses; my cousins and their spouses and their children–and friends too! She always makes a point of calling or sending a special message on our special day!
Here I’d like to share the process steps for making this watercolor study.
Step 1 This photo represents two layers of paint for the head.
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Step 2 First layer of blue (Cobalt + Pthalo) for the jacket.
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Step 3 Some head details, shadows to the jacket and dress color. Light-color vegetation added as background.
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Step 4 Details of the necklace and deeper shadows added.
Gracias, me encanta cómo la logró con profundidad en medio de la sencillez
Me alegra que te guste!
Hi Leyla! I love the wonderful description you give of doing your mother’s portrait — and the idea of transferring the feelings you have into the idea for an actual portrait. (:
Thank you Tabitha. So far, this is a study sketch. But I think that it is important to keep in mind our feelings about the subject when trying to paint a portrait.
Nicely done.
Thank you Susan!