Strong Starts

Lisa - 12"x16" Oil on masonite study

John - 12"x16" oil on canvas panel study

Sherin - 12"x16" oil on masonite study

I am teaching Head Painting this semester at BYU and I am enjoying it a lot. I have had the pleasure of painting alongside the students as well as helping them improve their paintings. I usually get something started and so far have only been able to get the whole head knocked in a couple of times. I am trying what Morgan Weistling describes as the "inside out method". I start with the minimum if indication lines to map where the head will sit on the board and then pick a strong shape (usually an eye) and then work outward. I try to use the exact color, value and stroke shape to describe each feature and then measure each successive feature against the previous one. In this way I build the face. Between running the class and helping students, I have maybe an hour to an hour and a half to paint these, but I beleive it is valuable for the students to see someone work everyday in class. I haven't gotten fast enough yet to  make the pictures look much like a finished painting, but I am having a lot of fun and getting better. I'll post a more finished one later.