"Schoolboy", another portrait

[caterina]

It's me again: I am trying to complete as much felting as I can before starting my travels for the summer :-)

www.dropbox.com/s/x98l4kwo78qgiil/img_20210727_180921.jpg?dl=0

In this portrait I needlefelted quite a bit, but trying to keep the simple, primitive-like style.
I may call it "Greg", to keep to the naming game, but in my mind this is "Schoolboy". Yes, he is an actual person that we sometimes meet in our neighbourhood, and that is his school uniform.

I wanted his hair to look as a soft cloud: I think that I will use a needle to fluff it a bit, but I don't know which one is the right one for fluffing. Maybe just any needle for felting? Or a thick one to avoid breaking it?
Caterina

[lyn]

The uniform is fab - I like the 3D pockets!

Have you tried a reverse felting needle? It does what it says - instead of pushing wool fibres in, it pulls them out. It's used to create a fluffy look.

www.worldofwool.co.uk/apps/base/blog/what-can-this-do-reverse-felting-needles

[Shepherdess]

If you don't want to wair for a reverse needle just make a fluffy cloud and felt it down around the edge and in a few spots here and there to get as much fluff as you want.

[caterina]

Jul 27, 2021 21:32:17 GMT lyn said:

The uniform is fab - I like the 3D pockets!

Have you tried a reverse felting needle? It does what it says - instead of pushing wool fibres in, it pulls them out. It's used to create a fluffy look.

www.worldofwool.co.uk/apps/base/blog/what-can-this-do-reverse-felting-needles

Thanks, Lyn, I did not know that!
I do not have one of those reverse felting needles, I will buy it when I come back home in September,it seems useful.

Thank you for your comments. I think that his uniform is the smartest one around our neighbourhood! I loved making its copy :-)
Caterina

[caterina]

Jul 27, 2021 22:22:03 GMT Shepherdess said:

If you don't want to wair for a reverse needle just make a fluffy cloud and felt it down around the edge and in a few spots here and there to get as much fluff as you want.

Good suggestion, Ann.
I don't have the reverse needle at the moment, I guess I will have to try this. I was unsure about getting the cloud to stick enough to be safe, but still be fluffy. Maybe if one uses batts, it's easier, but I finished all my black batts, so I need to tangle my own cloud: more to experiment, I am really liking this portrait, such fun.
I will try this and post the pics. :-)

[caterina]

I have remade the hair as a fluffy cloud, pinning it in with a few judicious stabs of needle: here it is, I hope that it shows in the photo
www.dropbox.com/s/w793hvooevcmecq/img_20210728_093120.jpg?dl=0

Here is a photo that shows the details of the schoolboy uniform:
www.dropbox.com/s/foq916bqh9nu4g4/img_20210728_093133.jpg?dl=0

And here a photo that shows the finished portrait, where it is very hard to see the fluffiness of his hair:
www.dropbox.com/s/k68f37mjr413wdd/img_20210728_093110.jpg?dl=0

[Shepherdess]

Great job. You can tell in the last one that it is 3D. It looks like his hair and less like the background behind him. I think it really works.

[caterina]

Jul 28, 2021 15:06:07 GMT Shepherdess said:

Great job. You can tell in the last one that it is 3D. It looks like his hair and less like the background behind him. I think it really works.

Thanks to good advice, it works quite well now! :-)

[ScarletThistle]

Hi Caterina. I intended commenting on your original portrait "Matt' but then I got caught up in things and couldn't find it again. Now that you have added the new threads I was able to find them all much easier.
I can see so much progress in your work. Each one is quite distinctive. I especially like "Amina". What a good way to suggest motion.
I also love that you use people you know for inspiration. Well done.
I also have not posted in a while but have been working on some projects which I will share in a separate post.

[caterina]

Jul 28, 2021 15:58:30 GMT ScarletThistle said:

Hi Caterina. I intended commenting on your original portrait "Matt' but then I got caught up in things and couldn't find it again. Now that you have added the new threads I was able to find them all much easier.
I can see so much progress in your work. Each one is quite distinctive. I especially like "Amina". What a good way to suggest motion.
I also love that you use people you know for inspiration. Well done.
I also have not posted in a while but have been working on some projects which I will share in a separate post.

Thank you, very kind!
I feel like cheating, because I would not be able to imagine those people, I need to see them for real and then copy them :-) yesterday I was at the park with my kids and saw an aged lady that had such an interesting combination of colours: I took out my phone to photograph her from a distance, and my daughter was shocked "Mum, what are you doing? Why are you taking a photo of that lady?" lol, I was so embarassed! But a new portrait is coming from that, for sure!

I guess the best way to learn for me is to close my eyes and take the dive! I like to read and watch what everyone else is doing, and get an idea of what to try next and what is out there for the future me.
I hope to see your new works soon!
Caterina

[Shepherdess]

Working from pictures isn't cheating. It's what most painters and other artists do. they either stand in front of what they want to paint (a landscape or portrait) or take pictures and work from them. Most painters start out copying the great painters, to learn how it's done before making their own great works.

[Ann @ frabjous fabrica]

I agree with Ann, photos are fine. I think you'd need a photographic memory to be able to make pictures of people without at least some form of reference before you. So keep taking pictures, though I think you're probably sensible to do it at a distance, unless you ask the person's permission for a close-up first.

[MTRuth]

Your school boy is looking good and his hair is definitely fluffy. I agree about using photos, I use them all the time.