Several of the bloggers that I read have mentioned having trouble being in the mood to create/having artist's block lately. Well, it has moved to this blog also! I just can't seem to get into it.
Anyway, I found a reference photo for this on Saturday (on WetCanvas). I did a quick outline and indicated a few shadows. After that, I never got back on the computer. So, last night, after a less than half-hearted attempt at a still life, I decided to work on my memory/imagination skills again. So, I "finished" up my work on this from memory/imagination. As you can tell, I had to invent the boy's face, hair, hand, and shorts, the girl's hair, eye, and arm.
I'm not really pleased with this, but I do see improvement as far as working without a reference. This was certainly a skill that many of the Old Masters honed - horses didn't really pose in those positions for them (and they were terrible at forgetting their digital cameras ;-). I gather that they built this skill by drawing from life, observing carefully and drawing later, and copying others. I'm trying to follow humbly in those footsteps. Certainly, all the copying of master portraitists that I've been doing is helping!
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