I’ve just completed Stacie and Foo Foo (aka A Girl and Her Bunny) – what a sweet portrait this turned out to be, with the bunny love and the feelings I get when I look at this precious moment!

Of course I gave my own Dusty bunny some love while I painted, too, and she also helped as a reference when I painted Foo Foo’s nose. It’s always good to have a live model on hand. (Need to remember this for future paintings of loveable furry things that I do not have in my family yet.)

It’s been a while since I painted a person in oils, and funny thing – I used the exact palette I always use. Natural skin tones can be achieved with just five colors – yellow ochre, magenta, white and sap green for the majority and the deepest shadows, lashes & brows were done using raw umber tinted with magenta. I’ll be painting a couple more humans here in the next few weeks, so I’ll get plenty more skin time very soon!

Enjoy, and have a great weekend! I hope you’re healthy and keeping your snouts and hooves clean!

(snort, snort… swine flu… get it? We’ve got it!)

I’ve completed Stacie & Foo Foo’s portrait under-painting today, working in the base skin tone and shadows for further refinement in the next painting session.

I went at it a little earlier than I should have, my background wasn’t quite dry so I retouched that as well once I finished. I’ve got it sitting under the fan to expedite drying time so that I can finish this portrait yet this week.

Enjoy!

Today begins Week #45 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

There were no submissions Last week. All in good timing, as usual, as I was tending to my feverish little one this weekend.

Do you know someone who would appreciate a free portrait of their pet? Share my contest with them – there are still a few weeks left in the year before my year-long giveaway ends!

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

WEEK 45 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: ANIMALS (single subject – dog, cat or any other critter!)

Deadline

: Friday, November 6, 2009 (around 5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment as your entry (your chances are greatly improved if you share something about your subject), include a link to your photo. If you do not have a photo uploaded online, please indicate that you are e-mailing the photo and e-mail the photo to: gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Your entry must be left below, or it will not be considered.

Note: *G* Rating only

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames

available through Dick Blick. Sox & BJ (below) are framed using this frame:

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll publish the completed winning portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement. If you’re a fan on Facebook, you might just get a sneak peek at the winning portrait before I publish it here!

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

Once you have won a portrait, I ask that you refrain from multiple entries, to give others an opportunity to win one as well.

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Front view

Side view

I’ve got the background and sides painted on Stacie & Foo Foo’s portrait, now this will have a day or two to dry and I’ll get the rest of the under painting completed and update again with another progress shot.

Enjoy!

This is a sketch on canvas of Stacie and Foo Foo – I’ll be starting their portrait this afternoon in oils. The gallery wrapped canvas size is 8″ x 8″ so it’s a nice size and will be so cute!

Bunny kisses are THE BEST KIND!

I had the privilege of shooting Sophie’s 1 year photos this past weekend, and today is editing day! I’ve just taken a few shots and made a collage, and thought you might enjoy seeing what a little cutie she is.

I am really enjoying my camera – and loving all of my wonderful portrait clients! They have all been fantastic so far – if this is what portrait photography is all about, I’m SO in. This is… well, it’s not like work. Except for the sweating and not being able to walk for two days following the shoot. (haha!)

Today begins Week #44 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Amanda who shared Kallie, who passed away recently from an enlarged heart. My heart goes out to Amanda while she grieves the loss of her beautiful, faithful companion. You can read her story here.

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

WEEK 44 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: ANIMALS (single subject – dog, cat or any other critter!)

Deadline

: Friday, October 30, 2009 (around 5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment as your entry (your chances are greatly improved if you share something about your subject), include a link to your photo. If you do not have a photo uploaded online, please indicate that you are e-mailing the photo and e-mail the photo to: gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Your entry must be left below, or it will not be considered.

Note: *G* Rating only

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames

available through Dick Blick. Sox & BJ (below) are framed using this frame:

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll publish the completed winning portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement. If you’re a fan on Facebook, you might just get a sneak peek at the winning portrait before I publish it here!

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

Once you have won a portrait, I ask that you refrain from multiple entries, to give others an opportunity to win one as well.

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

[nggallery id=3]

(click to enlarge thumbs or view full size here)

I’ve been a very busy bee over here since my new camera arrived! I had two Senior portrait sessions two days in a row – both Sunday and Monday were all day events. We shot on location at this gorgeous park in Blue Grass, Iowa, about 20 miles or so from where I am. Both girls are just gorgeous and they were so gracious with my camera fiddling! I even managed to pick up a 5-in-1 light reflector kit before Jenna’s photo shoot on Monday and my lovely assistant (my daughter, Catybug) took the reflector and filled in my shadows like a pro.

Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite shots of both girls – they are still proofing their collections and I just received my Photoshop software so I’ve toyed a little bit with editing – these are just my first stabs at using the software as well.

The funny thing is – I do enjoy photography and I love my new Nikon D90 – I did not expect the avalanche of calls I’ve received since last week alone for portrait work! All of my photography so far has been at an amateur level, as a hobbyist – and suddenly I feel as though I am being led in yet another creative direction. I’m not complaining – not even a little! I just feel so humbled by the interest in my creative eye.

And to think … nearly 8 years ago, I was filing for unemployment. heh.

Enjoy!!

I worked a bit more on Effee’s portrait today, getting her under painting complete and enhancing the dark shadows in the rug. She’s coming along quite nicely!

It will be a few days before I can paint in the furs in her coat so check back at the beginning of next week to see the finished painting.