Are Your Traditional Portraits Getting Stale? Try This Fix.

In the spirit of October, I thought this pastel sketch would be a fun one to share. I don't recall what the model was going for with this costume. Maybe a David Bowe reference or a modern gothic twist on Beethoven, but I imagined him to be an off-off Broadway vampire opera character. 

I enjoy working with models who are creative and go the extra mile by designing their outfits to better the artist/model experience. Traditional portraits are all well and good, but when a model arrives at an open session with props and costumes, you know it's going to make an interesting painting. 

Over the course of the past few years, I've had the opportunity to paint pirates, gypsies, circus themes, superheroes and pulp fiction characters. These creative subjects spark my imagination and tap into memories of my "younger years" when I was following aspirations of becoming a comic book artist.

The area of art I focus on now has apparently changed. However, I still fall back on my early training because the core principals of art are never affected by genre.

Title: The Vampire Opera
Painted On: Canson Mi-Teintes Ivy Pastel Paper
Medium: NuPastel & Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils
Dimensions: 9x12 inches.

One Trick to Prevent Artistic Burnout

A great trick to prevent artistic burnout is to use a different medium. I tend to favor wet mediums such as acrylic or oil paints for the bulk of my work, but sometimes I find pastel to be a refreshing alternative and a perfect medium for sketching quick poses.

Pastel is a dry medium known for its ability to marry both drawing and painting simultaneously in the creative process. Today's available color ranges seem to be almost endless.

One can quickly become wooed into collecting and even becoming connoisseurs of pastel brands in the attempt to acquire just the right one for the job.

Artists who use pastel as their primary medium can push its boundaries further than ever before.

The sketch above is the result of a one session pose. I used a combination of soft pastel and pastel pencils after a linear charcoal block-in.

The dramatic lighting, the model's bold hair color and complimenting eyeglasses as well as being in a faux fur coat knowing that it was hot outside added to the inspiration of this piece.

* Pastel is available in soft and oil options.

Title: Chillin'
Painted On: Canson Mi-Teintes Ivy Pastel Paper
Medium: Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils, NuPastel, Rembrandt
Dimensions: 9x12 inches.