Portraits

Hi all,
I have been so so so busy and amazingly happy painting portraits. I have completed my three huge paintings of my daughters and a family friend. I am so amazed at how much better I seem to be getting with each painting. All I can say is the internet is an amazing world out there with fellow artists, teachers, books, everything is at your finger tips to learn any new skill you ever dreamed of. I have never ever had a traditional in class art lesson in my life, everything I have learnt and am still learning is all from the world net.
Life is great!
Well here is my eldest daughter's portrait. She is 13 years old ..going on 20... you know teenagers.
This is done on the biggest canvas I have ever attempted painting anything on before, so I guess it took alot of guts. She is painted with acrylics and I just need to add the sealer, before hanging her in out family room.

Next is my other daughter, who is 11 years old. Same size canvas and also in acrylics.

my acrylic canvas portrait

In the past couple of weeks I have been trying to perfect my painting skills, especially in shading skin tones.
Many wise teachers have said "practice, practice, practice" and believe me I have been trying.
I have also been desperately searching for my own style, or signature look, which as some of you might know is so very hard when just about everything art wise has been done out there!
It can be very daunting trying to create something that is your own.

Eventually, something has came to me, with the help of my 13 year old daughter who loves to zentangle.
I found out that I can have the patience to zentangle as well, if I set my mind to it. Then it dawned on me, why not use my new inproved acrylic shading skills and my new skill of zentangle and create a style of my own. Of couse the photos just don't do her justice as I can't seem to pick up the depth of her skin tones and highlights.

After a quick tester piece of art with my daughter, I was quick to see a new love developing. I rushed out and bought a big canvas and set to work, this time on my own.
Here is the results. What do you think? The piece measures 35.5 by 23.5 inches and will be hung in my family room near my art station. Everything always looks better in real life. I guess I will never be a photographer... anyway I hope you get the general idea.

Hard at work.. I love every minute of it

All ready for my husband to hang on the wall of our family room near my art station.