Small Doses

You gain a much larger audience if you paint for those Posterity guys.

There was a time I projected a few drawings onto a canvas. What I can tell you for a certainty is that it is ONLY a matter of confidence. You CAN draw directly to the canvas. The biggest problem at first is simply getting used to the scale.  It's larger.  Shapes are big.  Gestures require more movement.   To get used to the scale I divide the canvas and or drawing into four quarters, or even eighths. Then, start sketching and don't worry that I won't be able to do it . . . because I know I absolutely can. And the work will retain the fresh energy that is put into figuring out how things should be. I just want to toss in this little bit of, "Go for it!" It's like this, I'm on mile 17 of a marathon and it's a hot day and I've got a long way to go and then, out of the faceless crowd a hand reaches out with a bottle of water, a voice yells, "You can do this!".

I wonder if you know about turning the canvas upside down? Do you know about using a mirror? Do you know about using acrylic paints with a sta-wet palette? These are things I found made it easier to do the work. Perhaps you already know -- sorry, I'm just a very old man trying to be helpful.

Many will be interested in how you do the work, but in the end, no one cares HOW you do something. There's hundreds of ways to get a likeness. Most people will respond to and care about the end product of the effort. They don't care how long it took. They care about; "Is it any good?"

History full of thousands who can paint a figure better than me and make it come alive with light and substance. All very humbling.  I always enjoy these small doses of humbling.
So thank you to all who participate in the continuing life of the Fine Art Painting.  : )

I'm happy to answer any questions about techniques and material. I'm no expert, but I've been at it for quite a while.
1.) the mirror is a small pocket mirror. You stop painting. Pull out the mirror and hold it close to your face such that you are able to see the canvas and your reference at the same time. Like when you turn both upside down; suddenly you see where you went too long, too dark, too much  angle or not enough curve.
2.) The Masterson Sta-Wet Palette is the only sensible way I have found to paint with acrylics. It is an enclosed plastic pan. watertight when sealed. Inside is a thin wet sponge that covers the entire floor of the pan. On top of the wet sponge is a sheet of specialized paper that is prepared for use by soaking in boiling water. That paper stays wet the whole time. It will keep acrylic paint wet to use all during a painting session. It even keeps it wet out on a sunny day if you keep spraying water at the edges and corners. When the thing is closed, the both the atmosphere inside and the paper surface is wet enough to turn paints into liquid overnight. So, I scoop the paints onto a small glass for overnight. The palette paper is surprisingly durable and if kept wet can be used over and over even with a palette knife.
Well worth the purchase if you're going to stick with acrylics.

There is a common misunderstanding to acrylics for painters new to the medium.  That is the tendency to dilute paint with water for the effects produced by thin paint.  Acrylic emulsion is a necessary binder for the pigment.  For thin paint effects try using a medium to mix with the paint rather than diluting it with water.

Even if you want to use digital or mechanical means of getting a likeness, it is always good practice to see how close you can get by just eyeballing it. Keeps you tuned up.