Faces-Quick Practice Sketches

I've been doing more practice sketches this week. These are so fun, but I can not manipulate the blacks to get the kind of results that the teachers get in their videos. Maybe practice will help!

The first one was inspired by Renee Mueller's class "Petites Portrait". It's in my mixed media sketchbook in charcoal, stabilo pencil, and water.

The rest, except for the last photo trio, which are on watercolor paper, are also in the mixed media sketchbook, inspired by "Wandering Muse" with Jeanne Oliver, using India ink, stabilo pencil, and water, sprayed and/or brushed. In the last photo I used gesso on the back face, trying to "fix" it. I also used a black gel pen on a couple of them. None of these pages were gessoed first, which may account for the lack of ink manipulation with the water. I always forget the gesso part...

india ink

I used photo references for all but one of these sketches. They are not meant to be finished portraits, but are intended for fodder for journals, such as the one in the Wandering Muse class. I may work on the bottom three some more, since they are on watercolor paper.

I finally got to watch the two videos to make the plaster and wire journal, and am gradually gathering supplies from what I already have to make one, which I hope will be soon. I love to make journals! Stay tuned!

I have way too many projects going at the same time that need finishing, way too many that I want to try, and time is going by so fast!

Just praying that this Coronavirus doesn't get us, and that it goes away soon! Stay safe and well!