Diego Sandoval 16 May 2012

I normally don't take that long (since my paintings are more about subject than detail... or at least that is my excuse)... so normally about 2 hours.

Now, with two children... 5 to 6 hours within 2 to 3 years... so one year I would spend 1.5 hours on a painting and then the next year I would pick it up again and work for another hour or so... until is completed...

I feel like I'm on hiatus from painting... but I will go full force once my kids are a little older.

Melissa Davies 17 May 2012

Im in the same boat, I get a few strokes in and its off to stop the little one from painting on the wall or she somehow manages to jump on my stuff but she does have a love for painting as well so I set her up at one end of the table with her art smock paper and paints then me at the other end and we paint together, maybe that would help you out

Ricky Corbett 17 May 2012

Great topic! I am a graphite and colored pencil artist. My work typically takes anywhere between 80 - 200 hours to complete depending on the size and how much detail I want to capture. I try to draw in a photorealistic style which is part of the reason it takes me a long time to complete a portrait.

I don't work the entire piece at once. I have to complete a tiny section at a time (otherwise I'll drive myself bonkers, lol). This is another reason it takes me a long time to complete a portrait.

I stay motivated working on a piece by staying focused on the details. I try to capture the tiny nuances that everyone has that I believe makes everyone unique and beautiful. These little nuances are what makes the person. If I don't draw a freckle or a mole or a birthmark, then I didn't capture the likeness. The detail for me is where the life is.

Great topic and I'm really interested in reading the responses from other artists.

Diego Sandoval 17 May 2012

@Melissa - Getting there... my oldest one is almost 3 and my youngest one just turned 1... so they don't do well with paints yet... unles eating paint is consider "painting."

(Plus they're boys...)

@Ricky - Wow... that's why your art is so amazing. I have no patience for detail...

I also like the subject and would love to hear from others as well.

marlene burns 17 May 2012

from conception to completion, no more than one frenetic week. my prayer series consumed 6 weeks of my life to complete the first nine..and that included the text, translations nad interpretations that accompanied them. i also have some paintings that were the occasional strokes of brilliance....under an hour.

Melissa Davies 24 May 2012

let them paint with pudding seriously they can eat it and it dries on paper.

Melissa Davies 24 May 2012

Ricky wow you do have alot of detail to your work after your post I wanted to see what you do

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