Pop Art Portraits

I recently bought the newest copy of Better Homes and Gardens "Do It Yourself" Magazine.  I found lots of really cool projects to try...but I could wait to try the pop art portrait project (Trying saying that 5 times fast).  Basically artist Michele Beschen walks you through how to use a favorite photo and Warholize a friend or family member.  
I started with this picture of the Lovebug and her "Fairy Godmother" aka Candice...my best friend.  She and the Bug share a birthday so we usually try and get together around their birthdays.  We took this picture after building a gingerbread house together.  It is one of my favorites of both my girls.

aren't they adorable!

The article and linked video tute on http://www.borganic.net/videos.php?video_id=96 say to be sure and use no smaller than an 8x10 photo.  I agree with this, but I only had glass for a 5x7.  When I do this for my puppy I will make sure to use a larger photo.  It took me several tries to get this right and I think if I had been using a larger piece of glass and photo it would have been much easier.  
Step One...use painter's tape to adhere the photo to the back side of the glass.  
Step Two...choose your paint.  You will only need 2 colors (white and whatever other color you want)
Step Three...mix up 2 mid shades.  white...light...medium...original color (I used teal).
Step Four...find the smallest detail brush you own.  This was one of the problems I had...I ended up trimming some of the hairs out of my smallest detail brush to make it even smaller.  Using this brush fill in all the brightest spots and white parts of the photo (teeth...whites and sparkles in the eyes, etc.)

those are some pearly whites!

Step Five...be patient,,,YOU MUST WAIT FOR THE WHITE TO DRY COMPLETELY
Step Six...Use the deepest shade (teal for me) to trace around all the main features in the photo.  Go around the face...use whispy strokes for the eyebrows, eyelashes, and hair.  Wait for this to dry.

This step is hard to judge so lift up to check your work often.

Step Seven...use the light mixture of the two colors to dab over the dark lines from the previous step.  This is like a highlighter.  Do not fill in all the space or your face will end up looking flat.  Cover the brightest parts left in the photo.  Be sure and use a dabbing motion or you might pull off some of the previously painted details. Wait for thie to dry COMPLETELY...are you getting the hint?

Goodbye odd darkly lines faces.

Step Eight...Use the medium mixture and a large brush if you have one.  Again dab with this paint.  Cover the rest of the glass with this tone  This will fill in any shading still needed on the face.  It might not look identical to the photo..but it should be close.  I think the Bug looks pretty close...the bestie is a little off, but still cute.  I had a great time doing this even though I had to do it 3 times.  

Not bad for a first try!

To the moon and back friends,
Sarah

Thankfulness...Day 94

I posted a little about this on Facebook...because I was plumb tuckered after school and didn't want to miss a thankfulness day...but I had more to say (surprise...surprise).  
Today I am thankful for Starpoint School.  My sweet lovebug struggles some with ADHD, dyslexia and dysgraphia.  We used to live in SE Texas...so it was not totally unusual for us to be evacuated for hurricanes.  In 2008 we were forced to run from Hurricane Ike.  We are lucky enough to have family in the metroplex so we always have somewhere safe to go.  I also like for the bug to stay in the habit of attending school so my aunt was able to pull a couple of strings and get her enrolled at Starpoint.  The bug had just started 4th grade and she was drowning.  She was attending one of the best public school in our city, but with more than 20 students in each class...there was no way for her to get the modifications she needed to succeed.  Mostly our ARD meeting were staff members asking us what we thought would be best for the bug.  We also had a doctor who loved to ask me what drug and dosage I thought would be best for my sweet girl.  I'm sorry...did I miss the 8-10 years I spent in school figuring out how to be a psychiatrist...I come to you so YOU can tell me what you think will be the most helpful for my daughter! Oh whoops...thankful...not bitter. 
So The Bug goes Starpoint for 1 day...she comes home from school and says to me..."Mom, do I have to go back to my other school?"  My heart broke a little, but I explained that my job, and our house was in Beaumont.  She then asked a question I would never have been brave enough to ask my mother.  "Mom, could I live with Maa...I mean everyone here is just like me.  They all have trouble focusing.  My teacher is so great.  She knows how to teach so I can learn."  I won't lie.  I teared up a little.  My precious girl was so self aware.  I knew she was struggling...but I didn't know how much the struggles were effecting her.  So I talked with Maa...I cried (a lot)...I promised to come and visit whenever I could...and my dad made sure she had a great laptop with a webcam so we could chat between visits.  
Now it is 2011 and the changes in my sweet girl are staggering.  She actually sees a life for herself with college in it.  Before this amazing school she wasn't sure she even wanted to finish elementary school.  She knows that she is smart and isn't shy about telling you about it.  Her teachers sing her praises...and she sings theirs.  There have been a couple of opportunities for her to talk about special research studies (where she was one of the guinea pigs) and she did so with confidence and grace.  I mean what other 12 year old would be confident enough to sit and have a chat with one of the largest textbook companies in the country...or show off her skills for the Chancellor's Advisory Board.  Let me just say the girl who transferred into this school would not have been able to do either, because she was beaten down and broken and had almost no faith in her amazing mind.
So along with helping The Bug develop her mind...Starpoint has given her the skills she so desperately needed to be a success in life.  I know I have gotten a bit wordy...but I can't believe I didn't mention being thankful for this earlier.  It is a unique kind of pain to watch your child suffer and be unable to help.  This school gave both of us the tools we needed to make the most out of what we have to offer.  They have also made me a better mother.  I was so used to needing to be involved in EVERYTHING school related...I had to assist in every project...I had to read every story out loud...now I have to remind myself to check her planner.  She is able to take care of business without help from mom.  I think that is the best gift...she is becoming self reliant...she knows what needs to be done and she finds a way to do it.  
Final anecdote (I swear)...she has an assignment due Friday and she is trying to spread the work out over the week, but she forgot her questions at school.  Instead of waiting until tomorrow and having double the work...she decided to call a friend from class and get half of the questions so she could do her work.  The child who entered this school would never have thought to do that...
So thank you Starpoint School for helping my daughter grow into the self reliant...confident...brilliant young lady I have the pleasure of admitting in mine!
To the moon and back,
Sarah

quote of the day:

really...I mean who doesn't love a gnome?!?

Thankfulness...Day 92

Aw man...I'm about 12 hours late again.  Oh well.  Yesterday I was thankful for extended family.  My aunt, cousin and tiny baby cousin came over from Dallas yesterday.  I was pretty wiped out by the time they arrived.  I am not bouncing back as quickly as I would like from this past treatment.  I am also struggling a bit with dizziness.  Lovebug, my parents and I made the trek to church and I had to spend most of the service seated because my head felt swimmy.  I think maybe I am just not able to replace the fluids in my body fast enough so the light headed feelings might be from dehydration.  I napped off and on during the visit, but for the portions when I was awake, I had a great time.  I think at some point...maybe even this coming weekend we are going to get together to make some stuff.  I like making things...Anne likes making things...the rest of my family will be out of town...so hopefully we will be able to craft together.  So there you go...yesterday I was thankful for crafty extended family members.
to the moon and back
Sarah
Quote of the day