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Published: 2010-01-03 17:05:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 1108; Favourites: 28; Downloads: 20
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Edit 15th Jan 2010 - Updated the image with a much clearer photograph of the portrait! For comparison you can see the old version here: [link]This is my first attempt at a coloured pencil portrait.
I have to admit.. I'm not happy with it at all. I think I did ok on the face - but overall there's a lack of depth. Its encouraging for a first try I think, and everyone has to start somewhere, but I really havent done justice to the beautiful reference photo .
I have also had one feeling strengthened within me - I hate drawing hair, with a passion! I thought drawing hair was bad with graphite, but using pencil crayons has taken me to whole new levels of difficulty... I have never been this challenged by it. It leaves me feeling two emotions - hope, and defeat. Hope, because I believe that overall this is a promising start to a new experimentation with medium. Defeat, because this fills me with such a ball of anger and discontent that I think "God. How can I ever improve!? This is so frustrating!"
I trawled deviantart for tutorials and found absolutely nothing to help with regards to coloured pencil hair. So I went it alone. My white gelpen doesnt work with pencil crayons, so the flyaway bright hairs she has in the reference picture... I just couldnt capture them. I tried to find some paint but my white acrylic has dried up too much to be of use. So I feel like I have a picture only half finished.
I dont really know what to do with myself now. To give up is unthinkable, because this is something I have been wanting to do for so long - coloured traditional portraits - but.. gosh.. the result is so deeply unsatisfactory I cannot imagine trying it again. I feel like I've failed... which artistically on this scale is.. well.. something new... I dont like it
Please critique me as harshly as you can, and I would appreciate very much ANY help you can offer on this.
Thankyou~!
Oh, also - should I try and rephotograph this? Might just be me, it seems ever so slightly blurry...
With thanks to =Tracie76Stock for use of her beautiful stock - [link]
Time taken: In the region of 5 hours
Progress shots can be found here:
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Comments: 33
The hair looks very good for a first attempt, the depth and lightness about it is certainly there. I do have to say the bags under the eyes looks a bit too heavy otherwise its a very lovely piece
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Thankyou... 
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This image has a feature in the Stock and Awe 54 newsletter.
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Thankyou so much! 
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This is your *first* colored pencil portrait? Are you kidding? I haven't seen any of your other work yet (I just joined the traditional media group today), but when I first looked at this, my thought was, "wow, this artist must do colored pencil portraits all the time. this looks great."
Seriously. So, shut up the inner critic long enough to say that this is great and really encouraging for a first try! The eyes are absolutely beautiful and full of life, and the blue background feels playful and fun -- fitting for children's portrait. If anything, the hair feels slightly adult somehow -- too serious. Maybe that's a strange adjective to use, but the personality between her face and hair seems different. Perhaps it was the attitude you took when you drew the hair?
In any case, I still think this is wonderful. Keep it up!
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Yes, its my first, and no I am not kidding.. 
I think the two main problems I have with this are that I see not enough depth in the hair / face, and I generally find drawing hair very challenging.. but yes, like you say it is an encouraging first try
By the way, I very much like your portrait of Obama!
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Thank you! I need some more practice on portraits, but I was happy it at least resembled Obama.
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Why thankyou! 
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this is gorgeous, especially if it's your first try!! in particular, i think that the eyes are stunning. the reference photos is also gorgeous btw, it's a beautiful picture!
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It looks really great, man! You did really well at capturing the essence of the stock photo O: I do think, however, the warmer colours in the photo added to the feel of the piece; it doesn't give off that warm feeling with a blue background? And I think warm colours would really benefit this piece, yus.
And the hair actually looks really good O: It could have definitely benefited from some white highlights but, like you said, you weren't able to do that, haha.
But dude, for a first attempt? It is REALLY really good! I am amazed O: KEEP IT UP my love!
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Thankyouuu! ;3; <333 I fancied a simpler background (in truth I felt so mad with myself and disatisfied that I opted for the quickest possible background T__T; ), but I see what you mean. All the warm tones I put in dont really match.. aiii... u__u;
Aaaah it really would have looked nicer with white highlights I am sure too.. but oh well
Thankyou very much for the encouraging comment, ilu!
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WELL for your first try, it's still pretty good man O: BACKGROUND ASIDE the main focus of the piece, how you've drawn her is just... wooooah O:
Haha NEXT TIME man O: Get some mo' acrylic to add those flyaway locks~
No problem, hun! This was really really good O:
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Thankyou~! ;w; Youre so sweet <333
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I think it's a wonderful start
I'm so sorry I can't help critique it, I don't know the first thing about drawing realism! I think it looks lovely though
So definitely keep trying, is all I can suggest, but you've made a fantastic start.
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Thankyou Sparkeh~ Even if you cant crit, a positive comment is at the very least encouraging, so thank you! ^_^
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Don't get stressed over hair. Hair is just a matter of getting used to, I guess, and there is no way it can be replicated exactly to the reference. I personally think the hair looks amazing and it fits in with the style you did the piece in ^^
And you did a stunning job on the eyes and the depth of them is amazing!
My monitor doesn't show light colors, so the face looks mostly blank to me. just don't be afraid to draw exactly what you see in the picture.
how big was this, by the way?
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I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair I hate hair 
So glad I could get that out. Aaaah
Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but its so frustrating, I dont think I have ever found anything THIS hard, challenging, unconquerable!
This is a little smaller than A5 in size~ If you have seen the progress shots by the way, you can see I tried my hand at gridding.. thats really hard too!
Thankyou for the kind comment
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It takes forever to do, too. You can think you're almost done, BUT NO, HAIR NEEDS WAY MORE TIME THAN NECESSARY D:
the artist is always hardest on themselves...but don't let it get you down. ^^
could you scan it a half at a time? I had to do that recently, and line up both halfs. It might show your colors more.
Anyways, this is fantastic work, so don't get discouraged!
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Tell me about it! Forever!
I am always really hard on myself yes, but I guess this turned out a lot better in my head that it did on paper~ xD
Well A5 is half of A4 - so about 20.5 x 15cm. Its not that big
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Oh I know, my scanner is that same way. It likes to show intense details where there are none, and wash out important parts. o-o The need a scanner that simply takes a picture
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Mmhmm tell me about it~!
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