Carriker - Mixed media portraits with Pam Carriker: techniques for drawing and painting faces

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Face the Direction of Your Dreams

by Pam Carriker

acrylic and collage on watercolor paper

12" 9" (30cm 23cm)

90-lb. (190gsm) or 140-lb. (300gsm) hot-pressed watercolor paper

140-lb. (300gsm) and 300-lb. (640gsm) cold-pressed watercolor paper

artist trading block cut from mat board or another block form

chipboard or sturdy cardstock

Fabriano Tiepolo printmaking paper

paper bags, 3

plein air panel

sketching/drawing paper of your choice

Strathmore Artagain black paper

Strathmore inkjet watercolor paper

Styrofoam wig form

Yupo paper, white

acrylic inks

acrylic paints

alcohol ink

Caran dAche Neocolor II water-soluble crayons

Cont crayons

Enkaustikos Hot Cakes

Faber-Castell Big Brush pens

Faber-Castell Gelatos

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens

gouache paints

Inktense blocks

Fluid Matte Sheer Acrylics

oil pastels

PanPastels

watercolors

1-inch (25mm) and 2-inch (51mm) flats

nos. 6 and 8 rounds

water-reservoir brush/waterbrush

baren or plastic spoon, blending stump, bone folder tool, bookbinding needle, erasers (various), Fantastix tool, Gelli plate, iron or oven, journaling pens, lightbox, melting pot or hot plate, palettes (various), palette knife, pencils (various), Plexiglas or acetate sheet, Pronto-Plate polyester lithographic print plate, scissors, scraper tool, sgraffito tool, Sofft Tools palette knife and sponge tips, soft and hard rubber brayers, soft brush (corncob or other), spatula, sponge, spray bottles, squeegee, Stabilo All pencils, stencils, stylus, Thermofax screen, wax crayon (clear), Wipe Out tool or other blending tool, wood screen frame or embroidery hoop

1-gallon (3.8l) plastic bag, alcohol blending solution or rubbing alcohol, baby wipes, black graphic chemical lithographic ink, CelluClay or other paper clay, cloth tape, collage materials, dry wax deli paper, embellishments, gesso, graphite transfer paper, India ink, inkjet transparency, liquid frisket, Liquid Pencil Sketching Ink, Matisse print paste, mesh-type material, Mixed Media Adhesive (or gel medium), open medium, painters tape, paper towels, rubber gloves, sandpaper, Simple Green cleaner or SoHo studio wipes, Speedball drawing fluid and screen filler, waxed linen thread, Yes! or other paper glue

circle punch tool, citric acid powder, gum arabic, heat tool, Incredible Nib, liquid frisket remover tool, wax paper palette

I began my own Pursuit of Portraits back in 2008. Before that day, Id randomly tried my hand at drawing and painting faces, but that day in 2008 I consciously made the decision to study the face. I began by picking up my sketchbook and putting time in every day. Regular practice is key to becoming good at anything. If you put the time in, you will see improvement.

Over the last few years Ive noticed that improvement happens more rapidly when I do more quick sketches than when I spend more time on one sketch. Its like strength training in the gym: multiple repetitions using lighter weights = long and lean muscles. The same is true for sketching. Training your eye and hand to do the same thing over and over allows for a rapid toning of your sketching muscles. When you spend too long looking at a sketch, you end up erasing and redrawing and finding fault with your work, and that can lead to frustration. It also turns something that can be a relaxing activity into something that leaves a knot between your shoulder blades and may even cause you to lay your pencils down for good.

Faces are such an interesting subject to sketchyoure never done learning about the human face. This is perhaps what is so intriguing about this subject and why so many are motivated to create them. I take many side trips where I study just the ear or eye or another detail and then go back to add those features to my faces. Because you look into the face of multiple people every day, inspiration is endless! Youll find when you begin sketching and using faces in your work that you notice the tilt of someones head when youre talking to them or how the light is shadowing their face. The inspiration is literally staring you in the face each and every day.

A Sense of Purpose

by Pam Carriker

acrylic and charcoal on watercolor paper

12" 9" (30cm 23cm)