About David Te

Hi, my name is David Te. I began thinking about art seriously when I was 18 after seeing my sister Faith, who is also an artist, draw a portrait of a person. It immediately inspired me to draw portraits as well.

I have had no formal art schooling at all so I learned entirely by reading art tutorials and forums and also by myself.

I work mainly in graphite and charcoal pencils but since we bought some tubes of oil paints, I have been learning to paint in oils too. I also wish to work in pastels and colored pencils in the future.

Apart from portraits, I also do still life drawings and animals.

I strive to achieve realism in my work while capturing the likeness, feeling and emotion of my subjects. With every artwork I create, I always pay close attention to shadows, lights and other details.

I hope with this, you will get to know me better. If you would like to commission me for a portrait, please do not hesitate to email me at any time. Have a nice day!

Please take a moment to visit David’s Website and Blog to learn more about him and his products and services.

His Website: http://www.artisticrealism.com/

His Blog: http://www.artisticrealism.com/artstudio/

Step by Step Graphite Pencil Drawing by David Te

Medium: Graphite Pencil

Paper: Rough Side of Bristol Board

Size: 25 × 33 cm (10″ × 13″)

(Click Images for Larger Views)

Stage 1

The outline was drawn freehand on newsprint and then transferred to Bristol Board using graphite-coated paper.

Stage 2

Rendered the eyes first as I usually do, using 0.5 mm 2B and HB mechanical pencils and 6H and 8B wooden pencils.

Next, I began to add the skin tones around the surrounding areas with circular layers of HB.

Afterwards, I started on the subject’s right cheek working inwards towards the nose using the same pencil and strokes.

Leaving the nose still unfinished, I proceeded to work on the forehead with 2B and HB.

Stage 3

Still using 2B, I did the other eyebrow and finished layering the initial skin tones on the forehead.

I darkened the left side of the subject’s nose (viewer’s right side) and continued to the other side of the face.

I also applied more tones on his cheeks.

Stage 4

The drawing is progressing mostly from the right side of the head (viewer’s left).

Using 2B and HB mechanical pencils, I darkened the forehead especially the right part.

I also applied more graphite to his eyebrow, skin around the eye, and the side of the nose. Next, I began layering in the shadow under the nose.

The hair is done with the 2B pencil following its growth. I pulled out the highlights with a kneaded eraser.

Stage 5

Using the 0.5 mm HB mechanical pencil, I darkened the area just above the eyebrows and the bridge of the nose.

I also added more tones to the eye and the side of the nose (viewer’s right).

I did some of the hair.

Stage 6

I added the first layers of skin tones on the chin and lower lip using a 0.5 mm HB mechanical pencil.

I also did the ear using 0.5 mm 2B and HB mechanical pencils.

Stage 7

I did the subject’s left ear (viewer’s right) and part of the neck using 0.5 mm HB mechanical pencil.

With the 0.5 mm 2B mechanical pencil, I did the other side of the hair and darkened the other eyebrow.

Stage 8

I continued to do the neck and it is almost finished.

Stage 9

I used the 0.5 mm 2B mechanical pencil to do the hair and clothes.

Stage 10

I finished the clothes and pulled some highlights in the hair.

For the teeth, I used 5H and 3H wooden pencils and a cotton bud.

Stage 11: Finished

I added some finishing touches, especially on the teeth and hair, and darkened the shadow under the nose a bit.

So here is the finished drawing. Thank you for viewing my work. I hope you enjoyed it.

About Christine Kane

Christine Kane is a pastel and watercolor artist who is inspired by the Midwest landscape and it’s seasons. To find new ideas for her paintings, she hikes in the forest preserves during all seasons.

Christine began drawing at an early age. She focused her education on art and has a degree in Graphic Design. She is continuing her studies and is currently pursuing a degree in Natural Resources.

Translating weather is also evident in her work. “Weather makes a landscape painting come to life. How I love to show leaves blowing in the Autumn time, snow falling in winter, or a beautiful thunderstorm approaching in my summer paintings.”

Christine finds God’s handwork in all aspects of nature and tries to translate her awe and reverence in her artwork. Never disappointed, she relies on His creation for inspiration.

To learn more about Christine and to view more of her work, please visit her site by following the link below:

==> http://letspaintnature.com/

Christine’s work can be viewed at the LaGrange Art Gallery

Let’s Paint November Sunset!

What is it about November that I like so much? Could it be the calm before the storm (peace before holiday chaos)? Could it be the de-clutter of leaves on the trees, providing a sort of de-clutter in my mind? Is it the warmth of the sweater that surrounds me or the first sip of hot chocolate? I’m sure it is a combination of all of these and many more. I love autumn even when it sheds its happy colors and puts on a more subdue garment. At this time of year, the grays and browns dominate, but you can still catch some exciting colors in the sky.

So let’s enjoy this time of the season by making a pastel painting of a November Sunset! This is going to be 100% pastels from start to finish. It won’t be too hard and you will have sooooooooo much fun in the process!

Step 1

I am using a sheet of Kitty Wallis Museum Grade 18×12 pastel paper. It feels like sand paper. You can get this wet and apply an undercoat, which we will do in a few steps. I made a rough sketch with a pastel pencil, it doesn’t matter what color, it will disappear in the end.

Step 2

Holy Hot Tamales!!! This is a fun step, well all of them are fun, but this step will connect you to your child like self buried deep, deep, down somewhere. Don’t worry about the bold dark color. This will be painted over. In this step and the next few, we are just laying down color. I am using Rembrandt pastels. Scribble in most of the sky using a dark pink, a little red and some orange. Repeat the same colors in the water.

Step 3

Now take a medium blue and scribble in the rest of the sky and some of the water. Take a dark blue and scribble in where the distant trees are just above the horizon.

Step 4

Look Mom! Look what I brought home from 1st grade! Hahahahahaha. In this step scribble in the land with a dark maroon/brown. Wait until you see what comes next!

Step 5

Now we are going to spread it around. Pour a small amount of turpentine (smells) or turpenoid (doesn’t smell) in a cup and wet a 2? bristle brush. Dab on a paper towel to get excess off. You do not want it sopping wet. Start on the lightest color and touch the pastel spreading it around with small sweeping strokes. Clean brush before you move to the next color.

That’s what I’m talking about! Yessssss. Spread it around now! This is an undercoat. Don’t worry how obnoxious it looks. We are going to apply another top coat of soft pastels. Only a tiny amount of this color will show through. Let this dry completely.

Step 6

We will start at the top and work our way down. When your undercoat is dry, take a light pink pastel and paint in the sky. I hate saying exact color names or numbers on my step by steps. I do not want people to run out and buy more art supplies because they think they don’t have the “right” color. All colors are right. All colors are usable. Use what you have. When I’m determining what color to use on top of an undercoat, I just use a shade lighter.

Paint in the sun colors using a lighter orange and a touch of dark yellow. Paint the lower half of the sky with a light blue.

Step 7

With your finger and a light touch, blend the two colors with a sweeping strokes.

Step 8

Using the light blue sky color, fill in the water near the horizon. Take a medium blue pastel and paint in the distant trees. Using your finger blend the trees upward towards the sky. Looking good so far.

Step 9

Now I realized my maroon land color was not dark enough, so I’m adding a very dark blue Unison pastel color. The darkest Rembrandt is not really dark enough for me. Unison pastels can get very, very dark. I also painted more of the water with the light sky blue color.

Step 10

This is a close up of the land where I’m going to describe how to paint the dried grasses. Now because the light technically is coming from the back and it’s the beginning of evening, the grasses will not have much color. Using a dark blue pastel pencil, make dots and lines on top of the water just above the land. This represents cattails in the distance. Next take a gray-purple pastel and make lines for grass on the land. I like to be messy about it. Neat is boring.

Step 11

Take a lighter pastel, like a light gray-brown and make some grasses in the front. Take your dark blue pastel or pastel pencil and make some tiny grass sticks here and there in the very front, some put right in the water. Oh this is coming along nicely!

Step 12

Using a dark blue pastel pencil, paint in the trees. I thinned them out from the picture. I didn’t want them to be too distracting. After my trees were established I went over them with a dark brown color. Working on the water, take the same sky colors and paint the foreground. Don’t forget the nice orange color of the sunset. Make sure you add the tree trunks reflecting in the water.

Step 13 Final

Add more blue sky color to the water in the foreground. Because the wind was so strong, it was breaking up the reflection in the water, so paint some more like blue and pink in the water.

Lastly, let the sun kiss the tree trunks and limbs by adding some hot colors; hot pink and orange work nice. Finished!

“Sweet November Sunset”
pastel,18×12

If interested in purchasing the original, click here to see availability.

I hope you enjoyed this free step by step pastel painting demonstration. I am so very honored that God has blessed me to be able to share this with you.

Learn to Draw Rihanna – Free Step by Step Video Demonstration

The following is a step by step 12 part realistic portrait drawing tutorial created by Artist Andrew Fisher.  This is a video lesson that I found on YouTube.  It is a lesson on how to draw Rihanna using pencil.

Step 1 – Anatomy and Math

Andrew needs to enlarge the photo while keeping the proportions accurate.  He does this by first measuring the photo and then multiplying each dimension by 1.75.  He calculates the dimensions and draws out the shape of the head, finds the center of the face by drawing a horizontal and vertical line and sketches in the nose…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1aTmTjXEBA

Step 2 – Preparation

In part 2, the Artist will demonstrate how he prepares his drawing at this stage, before adding  tone. The first thing he does is to erase any guide lines he created in step 1 as these lines may show through the final drawing. He will also lighten any really dark lines.  He also uses some masking tape to mask out the eyes. This will keep the white of the eyes clean and bright and create a nice contrast with the darks in the drawing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j6EFHhc9rg

Step 3 – Skin Tones and Blending

In part 3, the Artist will focus on skin tones and blending as the name of the video suggests.  He starts by lightly covering the face with a nice even tone using a blunt “B” Pencil.  He keeps his pencil blunt as he does not want any indentations in the paper.  He then uses an ordinary tissue as his blending tool.  Make sure the tissue paper is completely dry with no added lotions or liquids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=era2Xm45TYk

Step 4 – Light and Dark Tones

At this point, we now have a nice uniform tone on the face.  In this video, the Artist will demonstrate how to add light and dark tones to the face. In this step, he will be using a “2B” and “B” pencils.  Using his photo again as a reference, he begins to gently add the darker tones to the face using the “2B” pencil and the tissue to blend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wewe0YglFsE

Step 5 – The Mouth

Now, the Artist is ready to start on the detailed work, specifically, the Mouth. He is using mechanical pencils for the detailed work. Mechanical pencils enable the artist to have more control and to draw much finer lines than with an ordinary pencil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlI6rnICZ1Y

Step 6 – Eye Basics

In part 6, the Artist begins working on the Eyes.  He first removes the masking tape. He is not doing any detailed work on the eyes at this point.  He is only concerned with lightly plotting out the eye ball and general shape of the eye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxfUege-IAM

Step 7 – Eye Detail

Using mechanical pencils, the artist begins to detail the eyes.  He makes the pupil very dark almost black while keeping the white of the eye as bright as possible for contrast.  He uses a cotton swab for blending in the eye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHVqvG3NgnE

Step 8 – Face Detail

The videos do not show it, but by this time, the artist has completed the ear and the dark lines around the eyes.  At this point, the Artist takes a step back to observe his work and to figure out what may need some adjusting on the face.  He indicates, that during the process of drawing, some of his work has been smudged, so he will have to go back later on and darken the darks and lighten the lights.  He also demonstrates how to add the eyebrows and how to suggest a hairline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jii30rSTNAQ

Step 9 – Hair Anatomy

In step 9, the Artist is drawing in the shape of the hair. He uses the same measurement techniques to draw out the shape of the hair that he used to plot out the face from step 1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBitBBHLYxk

Step 10, 11, 12 – Hair Tone and Detail

In step 10-12 the Artist will be working on the hair.  The Artist admits that this is probably the most difficult part of the drawing and one that he finds least enjoyable. According to the Artist, hair takes a long time to complete and you end up using a lot of your resources.  That being said, the hair is still a very important part of a realistic drawing.  The Artist will provide lots of excellent tips and step by step techniques  to help you complete the rest of the drawing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7i7N8hmwfQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W81mzvEXmf0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFEIJMzAZK4

Drawing of Rihanna – Portrait Tutorial Complete Progression

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfR-u5DFc7w

I would like to personally thank Artist Andrew Fisher for providing this free, in depth step by step realistic portrait drawing tutorial.  If you would like to see more free videos like the ones above, please follow this link to visit Andrew’s YouTube Page. Please also take a moment to visit Andrew’s Website here where you can learn more about him, view his artwork and commission a portrait.

About Faith

Graphite Pencil, Charcoal Pencil and Pastels Artist

Hello! My name is Faith Te. When I was 16, a great desire to capture nature and the people around me started my passion for drawing. I began to look at drawing not just as a hobby but something which I wanted to do all my life.

I practiced every day and for many hours since. I taught myself to draw by experimenting with different techniques and materials and through helpful tips and advice from other artists.

Initially, charcoal and graphite pencils were the only mediums I used. When I began working in color, I used pastels, and more recently, oils. My main subjects are portraits but I also enjoy doing many other subjects including still life, landscapes and flowers, especially orchids.

I devote many hours and lots of attention to detail into each and every one of my drawings or paintings. My ultimate goal is not only to achieve detail and realism but also to capture the life and character of my subjects.

Thank you for your interest in my artwork. I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay here on our web site. Please visit again soon!

Please take a moment to visit Faith’s Website and Blog to learn more about her and her products and services.

Her Website: http://www.artisticrealism.com/

Her Blog: http://www.artisticrealism.com/artstudio/

Portrait of Ron Hontz

step-by-step pastel painting by faith te

Medium: Soft Pastels
Paper: Canson Mi-Teintes — Terre de Sienne
Size: 28 × 36 cm (11″ × 14″)

(Please click images for larger views)

Stage 1

The outline was initially drawn on a separate sheet of paper until it was accurate.

Then I used a sheet of paper covered with Burnt Umber soft pastel powder to transfer the outline to my final pastel paper. I used the textured side of Canson Mi-Teintes.

Stage 2

Here, I started to work on the underpainting for the skin tones using light Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Permanent Red, and white soft pastels. I then blended with my fingers to achieve soft and gradual tones.

Started to work on the hat. I used black for the general tones and light Ultramarine Deep and a little white for the highlights.

I am using Rembrandt soft pastels and, occassionally, the harder Van Gogh square pastels for some of the details and edges.

Stage 3

Worked on the hat some more.

I have now added some greens and blues to the darker areas of the skin.

I have also started painting in the shirt using Ultramarine Deep. Ultramarine Light and white were used for the lighter areas.

Black was used as underpainting for the background.

Stage 4

Continued working on the skin tones — darkening shadows and adding highlights. At this point, I am adding more detail and also paying closer attention to getting the likeness.

I have now darkened the eyes, added eyebrows, and worked a little on the lips and gums.

I decided to give the portrait a full background and randomly applied various greens.

Stage 5

Continued working on the head as well as the clothes. I have added folds to his shirt to give it a more natural look. Orange was used for the shirt’s shadow areas.

I wanted to give the portrait a more complex background, so I added more greens which I then blended lightly with my fingers to produce a “blurry trees” effect.

Stage 6: Finished

I worked some more on the teeth and lips. Also, some of the hightlights were further lightened and the shadows darkened to give the portrait more contrast. And after a few other finishing touches, the portrait is finished.

I hope you have enjoyed this pastel portrait study. Thank you for reading.

About Sandrine Pelissier

I grew up in France but have been living in Canada for the last 12 years, I am currently located in North Vancouver and work from a studio on Pemberton Avenue.

Watercolor is my medium of choice because of the unique way it allows me to render light. The transparency of this medium can make it look like the painting is lit from behind and the light is shining through the paper In my portraits, I like to tell stories about the people around me. I am very interested in childhood fantasy or fairy tales (I wish it would snow Flowers, Hair Balloon, Georgia, the Spanish dress and the Eclectus Parrot). I also like to induce a dialogue with the viewer in some paintings dealing more with introspection and mood (Mixed, In the studio).

Those portraits are not about likeness or knowing the people that are being painted, as I see my models as actors in a movie, they are the faces that will allow me to tell a story or to show emotions. Those faces are a source of endless fascination and I find the subtlety that can be achieved with watercolor well suited to the complexity of the human face.

My technique involves the accumulation of many transparent layers of watercolor. Then I like to incorporate mixed media in the background, work sometimes with some contouring. I also sometimes like to add some drawing on top of the painting or some graphic elements…

Sandrine’s Website

Sandrine’s Blog

Visit Sandrine’s Print Shop by Clicking the Banner Below:

Road Trip, Acrylic and mixed media on canvas and prezi presentations

(Click Images For Larger View)

Road Trip: mixed media on canvas

This is my latest painting on canvas, still working from a series of pictures I took during our summer road trip to Alberta.

I published some of those pictures in a Red Bubble Gallery here.

For this painting I used mostly Acrylic and pastels, with a bit of alcohol, medium, fixative, crayon, pencil.

This is the picture I worked from. The colors are pretty muted but I liked the composition with the posts and mountains . I also liked how the road gets you in the picture.

I started with a yellow-orange underpainting in acrylic, then made a rough drawing with a white crayon.

Here I started applying blocks of colors. The drawing in wax crayon act as a resist and stays visible under the layers of Acrylic paint.

I add a layer of white acrylic on the road but find it too heavy.

So I spray lightly with water

And apply a layer of paper towel on the still wet paint.

When I take off the paper towel, I have nice patterns on the road.

I add some layers of diluted white liquid acrylic to the sky area, in a watercolor manner. Spraying Alcohol to add some texture.

Adding more colored layers to the fields and background mountains.

Scrubbing of some paint with a sponge.

Adding more acrylic layers, and painting the poles. I am drawing the wires with a pen.

I now spray the painting with water and will scrub off paint again to add more depth and complexity to my colors

I now wait for the paint to dry and now work with dry pastels. The advantage is that I can try different colors and wash them away if I don’t like it.

Adjusting the final details with acrylic, once the pastel has been fixed with spray fixative.