5th Grader
Oil portrait painting on canvas

I painted this little boy portrait back in 2013. I didn’t use a reference photo. The hardest part about not using a reference is knowing where the shadowy areas are, and where the lightest lights are, and keeping it straight in my head while painting.

Sometimes, I will search for a photo of someone on Pinterest to use as a shadow reference only. Doesn’t matter the gender of the person in the picture, I’m only looking at it to get an idea of where to put down the shadow and light.

Sometimes I paint eyes the proper way with eyelashes and all. Most of the time, I don’t. I tend to paint more realistically when I’m using oils.

5th Grader
Oil portrait painting on canvas
Available here..
PS: buying paintings directly through me saves you money
because there is no middleman like Etsy or eBay 
hitting me with high fees

I don’t know if you do this, also, but when I think of oil painting, I classify it in my head as more “serious” work. It’s the paint the masters used, after all, and I respect that. Also, oil paint and medium costs a small fortune, especially my favorite brand. Oil paint isn’t meant for kids play, unless you’re buying student grade oil paint, which I don’t recommend. I’ve tried several brands, and they’re all terrible. 

Have you read my Tips for Artists Who Are Painting on a Budget, and Tips for Artists Buying Paint on a Budget posts? What’s your favorite brand of paint, and do you use oils in your work? If so, why or why not? I want to know what your opinion is, so leave a comment below. 

I have a lot more to say on this subject, so stay tuned.

Also..some gorgeous shots of the sky from around 7 this morning. One thing I LOVE about this house is the kitchen door faces directly east. So every morning when I let Chewy out, bright and early, I get to see the fantastic show the sky puts on just for me. 😉 

Looking east..

Looking west..

It looked like my fairy godmother threw a BIG handful of pixie dust up into the air right over the top of my house. So beautiful! I didn’t notice the little birds on the dead tree off in the distance until I pulled the photo up in Photoshop. Aww.. 

5 little birds enjoying the sunrise with me..
and I thought I was all alone out there. 
😀 

It’s definitely summer around here now. The heat index has been over 100F for the past few days. The flooding, unfortunately continues.