Monday, June 29, 2020

next commission...

It is funny, I have been painting for 40 years and still run into some problems. My next commission is for an anniversary gift. The church door where they were married. They wanted it in a framed 14x18. Not a problem...  I start drawing and have a good hour into it and I just don't like how it is, it  just doesn't feel right.   Probably nothing you notice but I don't like it.


SO, I flip the paper over and start again.  Now I have several hours into this drawing and I am running out of room.  I take the tape off and move the border from 1" to 1/2" to give me more room but I am still running out of space.  I feel like the focal point is the steps not the door...  yes, I know my light is crooked but at this point...  I am starting over for the third time.

You can only erase so much on watercolor paper.  It leaves ghost lines.  So I am picking a fresh sheet of paper AND I am bumping it up a size to 17x21.  I am not charging my client the extra since I am the one who feels it needs a larger size.  I am spending all day today on the new drawing.  The moral to this story is that even after years of practice... you still need practice!  It is not a mistake as much as a learning curve!  I never keep going if the drawing doesn't feel right.  Sure, I could make this easier on myself by using the computer or a tracing device but I personally like the connection I have with the subject by drawing by hand.  I am really getting intimate with this one!!

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