Category Archives: Acrylic Portraits

An Acrylic Painting…. Finished!

Murph, 16″ x 20″ acrylics on stretched canvas. www.theslumberingherd.com

I have not finished many paintings! But I actually feel like this one is finished. His nose is a little crooked and I could fool with the hair for ages longer but I’m calling this one done. The original image was a black and white photo, I believe a Spinone Italiano dog.

And here is his evolution starting as a sketch on a lightly painted canvas in February 2018, and then finally got his undercoat in January 2019. (I thought he might be finished, but he wasn’t!)

It’s been ages since posting, again. But I’m painting more and also working with another artist to put together an art auction in support of reproductive rights! I’ve put together a website here; No Apologies, and you can see the more than 20 works of art already posted. We expect at least 30 by the auction date of Sept 8 – Sept 15. More info at the link.

Belated hello to Paint Party Friday!

Acrylic Portrait Still in Progress

I did not paint every day in February, but I did work on this portrait for a lot more days than any other painting. And I took a lot of pics (and also included all the pics from the last post).

Bianca, 11″ x 14″ acrylics in progress. www.theslumberingherd.com

It’s weird how so many of these look like entirely different people. It’s also hard to see what changed in some cases. And sometimes it got worse before it got better. Also, still not done with this!

Thanks for stopping in. Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Acrylic Painting, Trying to Finish a Portrait!

Bianca, 11″ x 14″ acrylics in progress. www.theslumberingherd.com

Well I have spent more time on this painting than any other. Partly because it is a person I know! Partly because I am trying to *complete* a painting. A painting that looks like someone I know. It is hard. :D

I have missed four days in February so not exactly painting every day, but still pretty good!

Hello to Paint Party Friday!

January 2019, Painting in Acrylics

I spent the last week of January on the portraits of two writers, Mary Oliver and Virginia Woolf. The Mary Oliver one is not finished, but the Virginia Woolf may actually be finished. Which is a nice end to January 2019.

January 30, 2019, 8″ x 10″ acrylics on canvas board, Virginia Woolf, www.theslumberingherd.com
January 27, 2019 9″ x 12″ acrylics on canvas in progress, Mary Oliver, www.theslumberingherd.com

I’ve been watching a lot of videos from Yupari Artist on youtube/ . He is mainly an oil painter but I have learned a lot watching him paint portraits, in case you’re interested in that sort of thing.

Hello to Paint Party Friday and other blog friends! Thanks for dropping in!

Acrylic Painting, January 11 to 17, 2019

I am still painting every day in January. AND I believe I shall also do so for February.

January 11, 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
January 12, 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
January 13 and 14, 2019, Carrie Chapman Catt, 9″ x 12″ Acrylics in Progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
January 15, 2019, Carrie Chapman Catt, 9″ x 12″ Acrylics in Progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
Side-by-side 12″ x 16″ sketch to acrylic painting, Murphy, www.theslumberingherd.com
January 16 and 17, 2019, 12″ x 16″ acrylics on canvas, Murphy, www.theslumberingherd.com

Thanks for everyone for dropping by! Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Acrylic Painting January 2019, Continued

Painting every day in January, days four through ten.

January 4 and 5 2019. 8″ x 10″ acrylic on canvas board (unfinished) , www.theslumberingherd.com

January 7, 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylic on canvas board, in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
Jan 8 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
Jan 9 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
Jan 10(1) 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com
Jan 10(2) 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress, www.theslumberingherd.com

I can’t post the reference photo because this is the daughter of people I know! Just take my word for it, this doesn’t really look like her too much. But, I have spent three days so far on it, and that my be the longest I have spent on one painting. So that’s something. The multi-day paintings have been frustrating but I’ve tried to push on rather than give up, and that almost always leads to improved results. Which helps as a reminder for the next time. Because it’s every time, that thing where a painting is ugly for a long long time before it starts looking at least a bit like you hoped. :D

Hello again to Paint Party Friday! And if anyone knows of any other daily painting groups please let me know. Thanks for stopping in!

January 2019, Painting Every Day

Dangit I forgot making a blog post looks different. I want the other way back.

Fluffy Dog! January 1, 2019, 11″ x 14″ acrylics in progress on canvas (close-up), www.theslumberingherd.com
January 2, 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress on canvas board, Letitia Wright (Shuri from Black Panther), www.theslumberingherd.com
Fluffy Donkey! January 3, 2019, 9″ x 12″ acrylics in progress on canvas board, www.theslumberingherd.com

January paintings one, two, and three. None are finished! I’m not sure how many acrylic paintings I have actually like, finished. I think maybe none. So hello January 2019! I think you may be the month I actually finish an acrylic painting (or two) in addition to starting many.

Jan 3, 2019 9″ x 12″ acrylics on canvas board in progress. www.theslumberingherd.com

Hello once again to Paint Party Friday! And thank you kindly to my visitors for visiting. Also, sorry for the terrible photos, yikes. Perhaps i will try to take some in daylight.

Ahed Tamimi, Acrylic Portrait Practice

Ahed Tamimi, 22″ x 28″ acrylics in progress, Sept 2018

Ahed Tamimi, photo by Getty Images Dec 2017

Ahed Tamimi, teenaged Palestinian Independence activist, 22″ x 28″ acrylics in progress. Because no child deserves to grow up in an occupied State.

Just a reminder, more than 90% of people are just like you. They want to live peacefully and with the ability to provide for their families. Hatred toward a particular group is stoked by those in power in order to keep their power.

Tons of progress pics. Of course this is a larger canvas and I have also spent more days on it. More time = better! So far, in my experience.

Thanks for stopping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday.

Acrylic Portrait Practice, Manal al-Sharif

Manal al-Sharif is a Saudi Arabian women’s rights activist who helped start a women’s right to drive campaign in 2011. (from Wikipedia)

Manal al-Sharif, Saudi Arabian Women’s Rights Activist, 11″ x 14″ acrylics
https://www.theslumberingherd.com/

Read her speech from the Sydney Opera House All About Women Festival, March 4, 2018.

“I have proudly been called disrespectful for defying laws that disrespected me. I have been proudly called a corruptor for encouraging my fellow Saudi women to speak up for themselves. I have proudly been called a traitor to the nation and the faith for challenging the degrading narrative of women in our textbooks and teachings.”  (excerpt)

Buy her book, Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening

Progress pics:

 

Difference of three hours progress with local painting instructor

As noted, this last progression shows the difference of a three-hour session with a local painting instructor, Sarah Kaiser. Looking forward to next week’s session!

Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Acrylic Portrait Practice, Dolores Huerta

Today’s portrait practice: Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta, the inspiring Mexican-American Labor and Civil Rights leader, winner of many local and national humanitarian awards. Originator of the phrase, “Si, se puede” – “yes it can be done” or “yes we can” – adopted for his presidential campaigns by President Barack Obama.

In October 2010, Huerta was awarded an honorary degree by Mills College, who lauded her as “a lifetime champion of social justice whose courageous leadership garnered unprecedented national support from farmworkers, women, and underserved communities in a landmark quest for human and civil rights”. (From Wikipedia)

11″ x 14″ acrylic on canvas. This is a work in progress! The space between her nose and lips is too long, for one thing, and more layers are needed to improve the overall skin tone. As with all the others, I may not finish it anytime soon. Or at all? I don’t know! I’m just happy to be practicing and trying not to worry about other things.

Based on this photo by Angela L Torres (printed and taped to my easel).  I need to use my old Ipad for reference photos instead of printing things. One of these days!

Progress pics!

I have found a local painting instructor and (very) small class on Monday nights, starting this coming Monday. Hooray! I will report back.

Thanks so much for stopping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday. :)