Hello friends;
I have just completed the study for one of my next portraits.The size is 26×46″ the study is both charcoal and graphite on paper and the painting 
will be oil on board. I am very inspired by the image, especially the combination of a portrait and a still life element.
I do the studies to work out composition and to get familiar with the image. I don’t take the pieces to a very high degree of finish because it is not neccessary for these purposes but I do find them very helpful in becoming attuned to the energy of the portrait. Each time I do one though, I do think to myself how I must make the time to do more finished drawings as I absolutely love the feel of drawing.
Until the panel is ready to begin painting (my brother Jarvis at Jarvis Hall Fine Frames makes beautiful gessoed panels) I am working on the study for another portrait which is of a boy around the same age in an outdoor setting.
Thanks for your interest,
Janine
Janine,
Great study. I love how you incorporate elements of still life here. It adds an element of interest and even mystery to the composition, making it more than just a beautiful portrait. I want to know what the pieces on the table were bought for, where they come from, what they mean. This will likely be a private piece and to the owners, they will surely get satisfaction from this but to the bystander there is a universe of possibilities that can be taken from this.