Portrait of Elizabeth Taylor

This week, the spotlight is on.... Dame Elizabeth Taylor.

 8 x 10 inches (20 x 25 cm)

Graphite pencil on Canson Grain

The portrait was done in 2008. Actually, this is the first in the series of 8x10 inch celebrity portraits that I talked about last week. When I started doing portraits, I didn't know about graphite powder yet, so I use graphite pencils for the most part. Since then, I have tried a couple of different drawing styles and techniques and also experimented with various ways for blending tones.

Several years ago, I saw my sister, Faith, also an artist, draw a portrait on a regular printing paper. I'm sure it was of a celebrity, but I've forgotten who exactly it was. I was inspired and thought maybe I could also draw portraits. Fast forward to today, I have learned, what professional people call some "tricks of the trade" largely through the internet. Speaking of the internet, I have found several artists which I just admire. James Gurney, David Kassan, Alfredo Rodriguez and Drew Struzan are just a few. I am greatly influenced by the mastery of their works to strive and work hard and do the same with my own career. 

                                           (Image is from Doctormacro)

Here's some tidbits about our 'Celebrity of the Week'. Shown above is a young Elizabeth Taylor as she appeared in the film 'National Velvet'. Earlier in her career, she starred in children oriented films like 'Lassie Come Home' and 'National Velvet'. She also took on more serious roles like in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' with the dashing Paul Newman, the moving medieval story 'Ivanhoe' and in the title role in the historic epic 'Cleopatra', which she played along side her future husband, Richard Burton, who played Mark Antony.  

Well, that's about it for this week.