This is Shelby, a redheaded beauty. She has a gentle, joyous, somewhat shy soul to her. She loved to do art, when she wasn't busy reading a book. Her smile could warm up the room and touch your soul. I missed her when she moved away, and hope someday I will see her art. I painted this portrait using Painter Classic software, and just revised it using the updaed software, Painter IX and my wacom tablet & pen. I used mostly layers of airbrush strokes, pastles, and blending brushes. The hair took a while to build up all the tones, and then to add in all the strands, one at a time, and then blend them softly in areas to make it look more natural. Her freckles took awhile, soft small brush dabs of freckles, then softly dabbed to blend them for a smoother look. I am in the midst of revising some of the many youth portraits I've done. I did many before knowing how to do them with higher resolutions, and more detailed hair and eyes. Often I did them with a 72dpi resolution, as they printed nicely unless you went past an 8 by 10 inch print out. Had an older computer when I was teaching myself to digitally paint, and had to get a new computer & updated software, & books to figure out I was not doing as well as I could do. Trial and error, practice & upgrades are helping to improve my work. Hope I can always keep learning and get better as I go. This is now the third year almost since I started learning to do portraits.
5 of 16 Comments Show All 16 Comments
tazda lawson 22 Apr 2006
Happy piece .......beautiful.Gregory Edwards 12 Apr 2006
This state awaits all, in remembrance!!!!Michael Forbus 07 Apr 2006
Terry, your story of teaching yourself is heart warming. it is always that way when one is investigating medium in art. Sometimes the breakthroughs come when we let ourselves go and just paint. You are spectacular at your work. miguelPMyers 07 Apr 2006
As always awesome work.Mrs.David Jobes(Dee) Jobes 07 Apr 2006
Gorgeous Artwork!!!