Portrait Art by Jennie Chan Moscatelli

Tati-update3

2011-10-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

Since the face is heavily shadowed on the right side of the face, it takes many layers and many more to come. Darkening with graphite is a time consuming process...unlike charcoal. I think it's really starting to take form. I'll continue to make corrections as I see them. The hairline looks high at this point, and will be brought down. My focus was to get the shadowing on the forehead correct.

Tati - update 2

2011-09-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

I decided to post several update pictures instead of one. You can see the progression as more layers are added. The last picture shows some further details of the eyes. I have not included lashes at this point. I need to further deepen the shadowing on the right side.

Composition Sketch - Tati

2011-08-29T16:06:00.001-07:00

Here's the preliminary composition sketch. It's a rough sketch to get the placements of the features. As I progress, I will make corrections as I see them.

Portrait done

2011-08-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the scan of the finished portrait.

Finished

2011-08-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge. I think I am done unless there are requested changes. Once it's approved, I will scan and post the final version.

status 3

2011-07-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge. I've made a lot of progress on the hair and got a good start on the shirt. I will be adding more layers to the face, especially around the eyes also the hair. There is a glare showing on the left top section of the hair. I've left out some of the strands of hair on the forehead. I think we're getting closer to the finish line if there aren't too many changes.

status 2

2011-06-26T20:42:00.001-07:00

I've added layering and also the lashes. The brows will be partially covered when I draw the hair.

Status 1

2011-06-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

The face is starting to take form. There are still many layers to go on the shading. I have not detailed the eyelashes or eyebrows at this point. I will double check the measurements of the facial features especially around the mouth.

Composition Sketch

2011-06-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the composition sketch of KL. It's a rough sketch and it will change a great deal as I progress.

Finished Portrait Scanned

2011-03-07T22:47:00.000-08:00

Here is the scan of the finished portrait. It has been a long process with this one with all the delays, holidays and having a full-time job. I must say that I'm happy to be done!
There were some challenges with subject 2, but I'm satisfied with the final result. Click the picture to enlarge.

Finished

2011-02-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

This has been a long process with many delays, but I think I'm finally done unless there are requested changes. I will scan the portrait, once it's been approved.

Status 4 subject2

2011-02-02T23:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a status on the hair. I found it quite difficult given the resource pictures weren't quite right. The picture with the ideal hair was at the wrong angle and lighting, while the pictures with the right angle, the hair was either too short or too long.

status3 subject2

2011-01-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

Here's subject 2 with added layers and brows and lashes. I narrowed the face a bit on the left side and formed the ear more here. The face is close to being done, a little more layering. I will adjust the hairline and start working on the hair and shirt. I will reference some pics with the hair a bit longer.

status2 subject2

2011-01-14T08:11:00.000-08:00

I made further adjustments to the eyes. The upper eyelids needed to be a little bit more heavy.
The look will continue to change as I add more detail and lashes. I have also made adjustments to the details of the nose and mouth. I will look at the placement of the ear next and the chin.

Status 1 subject 2

2011-01-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

Here is the start of subject 2. The drawing is still very rough and many adjustments will be made. I opened up the eyes a bit from the picture.

I have started to detail out the collar on subject 1. He is close to being finished unless changes are requested.

Status 3 subject1

2011-01-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

I've added the hair and made it a bit longer as requested. I've continued the layers in the face and added small details such as the birth marks. The differences from the picture are: the face is left clean shaven vs. stubble, the hair is longer and the eyes are more open. I still need to detail the collar....then move on to the second subject.

Status 2 subject1

2011-01-04T23:51:00.000-08:00

The face is almost done. The eyelashes and further brow detail are now included. Extra layering is forming the details of the face and neck and ears. The shirt and hair will be next. I continue to make small adjustments as I find needed.

status subject 1

2010-12-22T23:39:00.000-08:00

Here is the start of the layering on subject 1. I'm making small corrections as move along. I have not detailed the eyebrows here or included any lashes.

This second picture shows further corrections and detailed eyebrows. I still have not put in the lashes yet. The layering here has progressed. The eyes have been opened up a bit from the original source picture as requested.

This picture shows the change next to the composition sketch .

Composition Sketch of Twins

2010-12-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

This is the composition sketch of twins that I've been commissioned to do.
It's a rough sketch mainly to get the placement and features in the right place.
The drawing will change a great deal during the drawing process as it takes shape as the layering progresses and adjustments are made.

Completed Dogs

2010-04-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Here are scans of the completed drawings of Shiloh and Sandy:

Project subject 2

2010-04-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the initial sketch of the second dog Sandy.
Here is work in progress:

Project for a friend

2010-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I know it's been way too long! I started this project for a dear friend and I got way behind since I'm back to working again. I'm doing drawings of two dogs. This is a picture of the initial sketch of Shiloh...I know, it's a bit blurry.
Here is the final drawing of Shiloh done in color pencil. This is my first attempt at drawing an animal in color pencil, since I was in high school....so it's been awhile. It's not an easy medium and requires many layers. Since the pencils are wax based, you can't erase them. You can lift up some of the color by using a kneadable eraser and pressing it on the areas.
I like control and detail, so I tend to choose mediums that are a bit time consuming.

Here's the source picture for comparison.

Art Shows

2009-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

During "Life Drawing" class one day, my instructor informed the class of an art show open to anyone who has not been part of a juried show (art not selected by jury to be a part of an art show).
Since I qualified, I decided to enter my final class project (portrait of my daughter). The show is called Aspiring Artist Debut. I was happy to find that the portrait received an Award of Excellence ribbon.

I also entered the drawing of the cat in a animal themed show. This is a juried show and the drawing was accepted in the show.

As an artist, I find that shows are a great way to gain exposure and experience.

Project enhanced

2009-01-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge. I did some additional work on the skin tone and also adding more detail to what she is sitting on. I also added a bit of a dark brown to the back ground, but I don't think it shows much.

JC v2 scanned

2008-12-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished portrait scanned. The face and whiskers in this version is improved upon vs. version 1. I was relieved to make my deadline!

JC v2 finished

2008-12-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

Here's the cat version 2 done and waiting for approval. Two issues dealt with, shortening of face and whiskers.

Final class project

2008-12-16T00:22:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge. I had my last day of "Life Drawing" class today. Here is my final project that I turned in. We had to do a compositional piece based on a theme. I chose "Love" as my theme. My daughter Andrea was my model. I took a series of pictures and I liked the expression in this one. I had her pose as if holding a rose, and I added the rose afterwards. The drawing is done in color pencil on charcoal/pastel paper. The paper has a lot of texture, so I had to layer the color pencil to cover the black paper. You can still see some black come through the texture. I am very happy with how this turned out, and now am looking forward to working more with black paper. The feedback from the teacher and classmates was very positive.

final scanned

2008-10-18T18:13:00.001-07:00

Here is the final portrait scanned.

Finished

2008-10-06T14:58:00.001-07:00

Here is the finished portrait, unless there are requested changes. This is a photo of the portrait without flash used, so it's kind of dark. I will scan the portrait once it's been approved.

status subject 2

2008-10-02T11:45:00.001-07:00

Here's a status with subject 2. I still plan to darken around subject 2 and deepen color of the shirt and perhaps a little more shadow on the face and neck. I also will fine tune the hair on subject 1 a bit. Getting close unless there are requested changes.

status 2

2008-09-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a status with the hair in. I had made minor adjustments to the jawline and width of the face. Also had some small adjustments to the eyes and mouth. Additional layers of shadowing was applied. At this point the face is close to being finished. I will most likely continue to darken shadows and fine tune before starting on the dog.

Status subject 1

2008-09-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge.
Here is a status of subject one. I'm waiting for some further pictures that show the part of the face that is hidden by the dog. Most of the face is done, further shading and tweeking left. The ears still need fine tuning. I will work on the hair and neck after the face is finished.

Composition sketch

2008-08-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here's the composition sketch of AC and Cosmo. I kept the sketch very light at this point. I will continue to make adjustments throughout the process. I'll wait for feedback from CC before proceeding.

First Art Show

2008-08-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

In my continuing journey of developing myself as an artist, I felt that I needed to enter my work in some art shows or competitions. I recently joined our local arts association to meet other artists in my area and perhaps join in on some of the art events.

Currently, the association is holding a members art show in which I entered two of my art pieces. I had entered the cat portrait in which I titled "Younger Years" and "Morning Ritual" which I did last year. The art show was judged by a successful watercolorist with a MFA from Stanford, who has taught many workshops and judged many shows.

I am happy to say that "Younger Years" won an honorable mention and "Morning Ritual" won third place....both entered in the portrait category. This has given me hope that I'm on the right path. You can see both these portraits in my blog. "Morning Ritual" is under June 2007 under the archive.

Since I'm basically a self-taught artist, I've decided to take a life drawing class this fall at the local college. This is a class that I have always wanted to take in the past. I'm excited to have this time devoted to learning and development.

Finished cat portrait

2008-08-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm finally done with this cat. It's been a very time consuming process.
I'm only hoping that it gets better and faster with practice.
It took many layers of pastels to achieve the desired detail and texture.
Overall, I think I'm satisfied with how this turned out.

It's about time! A new post and a new medium

2008-08-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taken me soooo long to post again! I've been a bit sidetracked. I think that I'm back on track now.....

Anyways, this is my second attempt at using oil pastels and it's been a learning experience!
For those not familiar with oil pastels, they are like soft crayons. It was a real challenge creating the details I wanted on this cat portrait. I had to use fine blending tools apply the pastels in order to achieve a detailed look.

final scanned

2007-11-30T09:25:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge. Here is the final portrait scanned. Nice to be done!

final with hair darkened

2007-11-29T08:31:00.001-08:00

I've darkened the hair on the left a bit. I've darkened the two beauty marks and lightened the shading on the right cheek.

Finished

2007-11-28T10:33:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge. Here is the finished portrait, unless PL requests changes. I'm happy with how this turned out. It definitely takes time to do the hair! I will scan the picture if there are no changes.

status 2

2007-11-24T00:33:00.000-08:00

Here I continue to make progress on the hair, but not done yet. I still have to do the neck and shoulders and darkening of tones.

status

2007-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge. I've made alot of progress in the last two days. The face is almost done, just fine tuning and darkening of tones. I've gotten alot done on half the hair, but needs much more layering to darken the tones. Surprisingly, I find that all those curls are much easier than straight hair.

Composition sketch

2007-11-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge. Here's the composition sketch of my current portrait commission. This is mainly to place the features. Adjustments will be made as needed during the drawing process.

Finished and scanned

2007-10-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge. Here's a scan of the finished portrait. Feels good to be done!

background shaded

2007-10-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

I added more shading to the background and my signature. Just waiting for approval before I scan it.

Almost done

2007-10-26T15:48:00.001-07:00

Here are both subjects together. I'm about done now. Just a bit more shading in the background and any requested changes if any.

status subject 2

2007-10-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge. Finally a status for subject 2. R.S. any changes? I'll work on finishing both necks and collar next.

small adjustments

2007-10-01T13:31:00.001-07:00

Here I've made some small adjustments to the right eye and shading. Still fine tuning. I slightly raised the eye up just a hair and lightened the crease.

Status subject 1

2007-09-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge. Here's where I'm at on subject 1. The face is pretty much done. I need to work on the shirt and neck area more. The hair is a little lower in height compared to the picture. I guess I gave him a little haircut. R.S. do you want me to make the hair bigger? This is a photo of the drawing, so the lighting isn't the best. The final will be scanned.

K&J composition sketch

2007-09-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here's the composition sketch of K&J. R.S. do you have any changes?

Finished Portrait

2007-06-15T09:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished portrait of a brother and sister that I was commissioned to do. After a little touchup on the neck, the portrait is done! This is a scan that was done in 6 sections and then merged. Click to enlarge.

Finished

2007-06-14T15:59:00.001-07:00

I think this is finished now. DK do you want any changes?

status subject 2

2007-06-13T09:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a status on subject two. I plan to go darker with the contrasts and fine tune a bit.
I'm happy with the progress with this one. We'll see how the hair goes.

subject 1 finished

2007-06-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

After some fine tuning, I think this subject is now done, except for the shirt.

Status

2007-06-08T16:50:00.001-07:00

Here's one subject about done. I must say that it took longer than I expected. I may have to darken the shadows on the left eye. This is a photo of the drawing, which doesn't represent the drawing as well as a scan.

DK any changes?

Composition sketch

2007-06-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

This is the composition sketch for a commission I'm working on. It's mainly to get the features drawn in the right place. The next post should show much more detail.

DK, let me know if you want anything changed. Thanks!

"Morning Ritual" project

2007-06-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is a piece that I just finished for a project I'm doing. I have titled it "Morning Ritual". I wanted a concept that people can relate to. I made the cup red to highlight the ritual.
I'm happy with how it turned out.

Now, I'm ready for my next project!

final revision

2007-04-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

Now I consider the portrait done. I made a number a small adjustments.
Hopefully that takes care of it....
Nice to be finished!
This is a scanned image of the drawing. Click to enlarge.

finished portrait

2007-04-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the final portrait...unless changes are requested.
Just needs my signature now. This is a photo of the drawing. I will scan the final once it's signed and I know there will be no changes.

NB, any changes?

2007-04-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the second face is almost complete. I may do final touchups. I'm still tackling the hair.

I still need to complete the bottom of the first subject.

I ended up raising the right side of the hairline and toning down the shadows on the left side. The resource picture had alot of sun on his left side, but the girl was in the shade, so I wanted them to match a little better.

commission status 2

2007-04-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here is the portrait with one face almost complete. As you see, there is a big change from the composition sketch.

I had to change the placement of the eyes a bit on this one.
N.B. is it looking ok to you so far?

Composition sketch

2007-04-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is a composition sketch for a commission I'm currently working on. I'm using photos from a photo shoot I did of the subjects. I moved the subjects closer together for the portrait. I also modified the lips on the girl to reflect a slight smile.

Returning to my Art

2007-03-23T00:27:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned to some of you, I've recently decided to pursue my dream of becoming a portrait artist. It's hard to describe, but it feels like I've found my way home after being lost for many, many years. It took me a while to get myself to make this first posting. It's feels symbolic towards my return to art.

This is a portrait of actress Kristin Kreuk of the show "Smallville". It was the first picture I did on decent drawing paper. The first two portraits I did were of my kids, but on a sketch pad. This paper was a big improvement in helping achieve the look I wanted. I hope you enjoy it.

I plan to build a website, but for now, I'm using this blog.

Feel free to leave me comments!

Jennie