I always say I can’t draw from a photo, but I got to wondering if, after 23 months of daily sketching, if this is still true. I took so many great photos on our trip and would love to use these as a basis for some paintings. I imagine there are techniques that I could learn if I put in the time and research.  This next week would be a great time to figure this out.

One problem I have with drawing from a photo is the photo is too small for me to see the detail. Today I used my iPad to enlarge parts of the photo when I needed clarity and this worked pretty well. I practiced drawing some of the unclear parts and then drew several complete sketches before painting two of them. A second challenge is it is tempting to copy the photo instead of using it to convey a message, which is one of my major goals for this blog.  It took some time to get a natural looking sketch with rhythm and movement, but I am encouraged by the final sketch.

When we were in Chicago I drew this same baby with his dad as we sat in their living room. I wanted to get a sketch of the baby with his mom as well, but time ran out.  In both sketches I wanted to show the bond between parent and child.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch.