Archive for the ‘Portrait Art’ Category
Childrens Portrait-Noah’s Time Out
Written by timoneill on October 13, 2009 – 9:47 pm -Children’s Portrait of Noah’s Time Out
Children's Portrait by Nebraska Artist Tim ONeill
This painted portrait of Noah is another mixed media painting created using photo reference. This particular piece is of my son when we were on a vacation a few years back. Noah is a very active boy and he loves to run, jump, squeal, antagonize his younger sister, or anything else that will bring some small amount of amusement to him. Getting him to sit for a children’s portrait is almost out of the question.
Children and car rides lasting more than a few minutes is generally a “asking for” combination anyway. We had been in the car for several hours when we finally arrived at our destination. Upon stopping Noah burst from the car like carbonated soda after a thorough shaking. Ten minutes of running did not exhaust the pent up energy of Noah but it had already tried the patience of mom and dad. Several verbal warnings had been sanctimoniously ignored so a more severe discipline was needed to capture Noah’s attention. Enter the time out.
Time outs are particularly effective for Noah given his personality and overt energy. As we were trying to get to a restraunt for dinner I choose to carry out our discipline in this alley away from as much distraction as possible. When he finally began to relax and accept his position he laid his head down in on his knees. I initially believed this was the signal of truce and submission. After a few moments of watching him I walked to the opposite side I was on and noticed that he had not surrendered at all. Hidden from my view was a small stick that Noah had found. He had already carved some nice dirt drawings and made a game of smacking a piece of crumpled paper that was nearby.
His stubbornness even while sitting with his head in his knees made me laugh. I wanted to remember it so I snapped a quick image before I stold the stick and stood over him for a few minutes of actual time out. Later I decided I wanted to paint it and “Noah’s Time Out” was born. It is not the type of childrens portrait that one would normally set out to commission however it is a rare gem. The story with the strong compositional elements and simplicity of the painting makes it a family heirloom. As an artist I am always looking for glimpse of “personality” with each commission, it is a delight when one comes shinning through with your own kids.
While the original is in our private collection, limited edition giclee prints are available.
Tags: Children's portrait, Nebraska Artist, Tim ONeill
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Cowboy Pastel Portrait Painting
Written by timoneill on September 19, 2009 – 8:35 pm -I love pastel portrait painting
My friend Bruce Richmond is a local realtor, businessman and friend for many years. Bruce is a Buffalo Bill re-enactor and very gracious when I ask him for his time to pose. This image is referenced from a photo session at Buffalo Bills Ranch in North Platte, Nebraska a few years ago. I had been wanting to create some pastel portrait paintings for some time so decided Bruce would end up in chalk dust.
One of the things I really like about pastels is the look and feel. Being primarily a digital artist these days I sometimes miss that tactile interaction. The beauty of painting the way I do now is that I get the best of both worlds. Paper and canvas are a big deal to me and the selection of the highest quality materials makes my life much easier.
While most of my process is digital I will print this on a rag paper. The original is printed on Hahnemuhle’s Torchon paper, embellished with an overlay of pastel color and highlights then sealed.
I treat my digital pastel pieces just like a traditional pastel piece although they are not quite as fragile.
Tags: Pastel Portrait Painting
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