After a lot of waffling, I'm JUMPING into people portraits. I have been so hesitant...even though I get a lot of requests...because I just felt like I needed a formal education to do it. I mean, who am I to offer HUMAN portraits???
I've done some, I enjoyed it, and I do a lot better with practice of course, etc etc etc.
I would like to take my own photos, but that scares me.
I've just decided to throw away all those little fears and go for it. I'm going to do it exactly how I started my dog portrait business...I'm going to do practice pieces for family and friends and put the best ones on my website and keep my prices low....very low...to build up a portfolio, get lots of practice and hopefully grow as an artist.
I'm still planning on taking classes, that should help as well!
I think it is a natural addition to the animal portraits and even the woodcut printing.
Best of all, since I've been drawing every day, I have been drawing Otto my dog and humans and have been enjoying it. So I think it will help me with my goal of getting better as an artist, as well.
I'm going to be posting my progress and hope you'll all be very lavish with your advice for me!
Gulp!!!
:D
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5 comments:
I think once you get into it you will find it isnt as scary as it looks (i ought to take my own advice there). I think you'll do fine, dont be scared to take your own photos, its better to be able to get what you need, im sure you know how it is with pet portraits when people send you far away shot or unfocused, generally bad references. Natural lighting! Good luck!
Thanks, Joni!! Yes, I have had my share of photos of someone's carpeting, with a little mass of fur in the middle!!
You can totally do this Robin! And I think your plan for getting started is perfect. If you wait until you're 'ready' it will be forever - because when do we ever feel that our art is 'good enough'. But you are absolutely good enough to wade into these waters and my (admittedly limited) experience is that you learn faster and improve faster when you are doing real-life portraits rather than practice exercises (though you need those too!).
I may have mentioned this - but there is an excellent tutorial going on over at WC in the pastel forums ("Portrait and Figure Fundamentals").
People are just animals without fur. :)
Judging from your animal portraits, I'll think you'll do great people portraits. And you can draw or paint people with their animals.
(I saw your post in the American Artist forums and came here from there. MLevenstein = MiriamL )
CAt in a Box, thank you so much for the encouragment!! I guess you can tell I have been workign my tail off and haven't been "minding the store" here and just saw your comment.
Hi Miriam! Glad to see you here, as well! I hope you'll jump in with any and all help and comments you have! Nice to see you in the American Artist forum, as well, it's still in its infancy but I think it will be a lot of fun once it gets its sea legs!
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