1st Wedding Anniversary Graphite Portrait

This is the graphite sketch for a commission that will be a gift for a first wedding anniversary. I was not able to capture all of the portrait with my scanner as it is 11x14 and my scanner...even though it says it scans A4...seems to not want to go larger than 8.5 x 11 argh, may be time for a new scanner ;)

I have transferred the drawing onto the watercolor paper and have darkened the outline of the bride and groom with HB graphite pencil. The background is hard to see right now but is sand and rocks with will be loosely drawn in.

Anniversary Graphite Portrait - WIP #7

Several more layers of 2B and H graphite pencil have been added and blended for the hair. I will leave the hair for now so the graphite has time to settle into the paper and come back to it to add more depth.

The shirt and the tie have been nearly completed so I will now start on tweaking the facial features first to the groom and then to the bride until I am happy with the resemblence for their portrait.

Anniversary Graphite Portrait - WIP #5

The drawing process is the same for the groom, just adding the skin tone in layers using mostly 2B and HB graphite pencils and blending to build up the layers and hone the features of his portrait.

It looks pretty rough right now as there are many areas in different stages of completness, next update should look more cohesive.

Anniversary Graphite Portrait - WIP #4

I think I will move onto the groom at this point and come back to the bride later for the finishing touches. Her eye and nose need to be tweak still as there are a few areas that are off. Her skin needs to be smoothed out a bit in some areas and of course the hair and necklace need to be completed.

I like to leave each portrait for a bit as a bit of 'distance' makes any errors jump out at me after a day or two.

Anniversary Graphite Portrait - WIP #1

This is the reference photo for an anniversary portrait commissioned by the groom for his bride. I love the way their noses are almost touching :)