A common theme when I write these posts is talking about the increased challenges I’m experiencing. It makes sense because I can see how the lessons are building off of each other and pushing me both in new skills and time constraints. This week is no exception!
I worked on portraits with live models and alla prima life painting, and I ended up with three pieces that each challenged me for a different reason. Painting from life is a whole different kind of pressure. You do not get to pause your subject, you do not get to zoom in, and you definitely do not get to redo the moment you missed. It is you, the person in front of you, and the clock. You also have the added pressure of your model and their own feelings about how you captured their likeness.
Drawing a portrait from life
Drawing a portrait from life felt very difficult and honestly intimidating. I do not feel fully confident in my skills yet, so drawing someone I know added this extra layer of social pressure. It is one thing to practice in private, but it is another thing when the person is right there, and you are thinking, “Please let this look like you.”
On top of that, my model kept falling asleep.
That part made me laugh and stress out at the same time. I learned a practical lesson here too. If I am going to do a session like this again, I probably need to schedule it earlier in the evening so he is more alert!
Alla prima live portrait
This one pushed my nerves even more. The model kept moving, the 20 minute session constraint made me extra nervous, and I kept finding dog hair on the painting. I felt that pressure to make every brushstroke count, because there is no time to slowly build it.
But here is what surprised me.
I have always wondered if I could actually do a portrait painting like this, and I was genuinely happy that I captured his likeness. That felt like a win. It gave me proof that I can do it.
If I had a photo and more time, I honestly feel like I could handle it easily. The challenge is not just skill, it is speed and focus under pressure.
Alla prima live full figure
It was not as difficult as the close ups because the facial details were much smaller. That took some pressure off.
Still, capturing the full body and the chair made it harder in its own way. There are more shapes to manage, more angles, more proportions, and everything has to work together.
What this week gave me
The best part of this week is that it gave me confidence.
I walked away knowing that with enough time, I could be successful at painting people. I am not “there” yet, but I can feel the progress. And for me, that matters a lot, because painting people has always felt like this big, scary thing in my head.
This week made it feel possible.
