Ben

Janel Maples · 10-29-2004, 10:13 PM

Mary,

This is my favorite of yours. Such a light haired little guy, if I would have attempted this it would have turn out chalky. You did a great job.

Mary Sparrow · 10-30-2004, 06:32 AM

Thanks to everyone. I have been in such a creative slump lately, you have all given me a little boost.

Janel, this is the third version of Ben. The first one I finished and brought upstairs to take a picture, no sooner had I turned around did realize my 19mo had it smudged to her shirt. The second version is the oh so chalky version in the trash.

This one fortunately turned out OK. This is a good thing since this woman has 6 more grandchildren she wants done.

Terri Ficenec · 10-30-2004, 10:13 AM

Mary-- that must have been so frustrating with the first one being spoiled like that. But this version sure turned out sweet! He glows.

Leslie Ficcaglia · 11-01-2004, 08:19 PM

That's beautiful, Mary. The flesh tones are especially good and you can see how soft the child's skin is. His expression is wonderfully rendered, too.

Question: How do you achieve the fine lines and details with pastels? Are you using sticks or pencils? I've been playing with plein air recently and wondering how this effect is achieved in portraits. Yours are so well done.

Mary Sparrow · 11-01-2004, 08:58 PM

Hi Leslie, and thank you.

For the finer lines I use the sharp edges of a nu-pastel, a broken jagged edge of a soft pastel or occasionally a pencil.

Kimberly Dow · 11-02-2004, 01:23 AM

Mary -

I had to come back and look at this. The first time I looked my eyes saw a wonderfully done portrait. This time I really looked and I am just wondering how you managed to get a photo of my son and paint it? He is now 13, but it is positively spooky how much this looked like him at maybe 3? The same hair and brows, the same tilt upwards of the outside part of the eyes and the same nose. I'm going to have to scan an old photo in - it is really uncanny!