Yesterday I went on a hike. That should be non-eventful except I haven’t done any (read zero, none) exercise in fourteen months.
I took the camera thinking I might see something worth sketching but not really wanting to interfere with the exercise.
I chose Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park because I simply like the place. There is a one mile hike to the top. As hikes go, the guidebooks would rate it strenuous I think.
When I was forty-one, I had gotten to a point where I could hike it non-stop in fifteen minutes.
Now, I’m forty-nine and I didn’t make it to the top. I got nauseated, rested, trudged on, got nauseated again, rested, trudged on, got nauseated one last time just for fun, rested…and took my picture.
I took my picture with the intent of sketching it for this post and giving it the title “Portrait of a Fat Man in Total Misery”.
As it turned out, the pose doesn’t look like I felt all that bad. Trust me. I did. The nausea is from over exertion when the body has been decommissioned from active service. Trying to de-mothball it with such a strenuous challenge was the problem.
What I Learned…
- I learned the extra forty pounds I’m carrying has got to go.
- I learned the lack of regular, disciplined exercise has got to go.
- I learned that cold pressed watercolor paper makes for rather leathery looking skin when scanned.
- I learned I need to work on portraiture a lot if I’m ever going to try and paint anyone but me.
As for the portrait, it’s not too far off the mark but I’m not very satisfied with my portrait skills. I usually give myself a fair amount of critical leeway because I’m doing this for fun. But portraits need to capture a “likeness” and I haven’t really done enough people drawings to get my mind ’round that yet.
It’s a matter of practice. So, you may have to tolerate a few attempts at people drawings in the coming posts if I decide to concentrate on honing those skills.
As for the forty pounds and lack of exercise…the decision’s been made. Permanent changes are a comin’.
8 Comments
Likeness or no, I think it’s a good portrait, but you’re right about the lack of misery. For one, where is the sweat? I know if I tried a mile-long hike up a mountain right now, there would be rivers pouring down my face.
In painting portraits, I think it would be very frustrating to work around the “likeness” aspect. People are rarely satisfied with photos of themselves, let alone a painting. That said, I love portraits of other people (that I don’t know).
My favorite exersise is lifting my oil pastels. Really builds up muscles!!
Nice portrait. You could try sketching every 10 minutes to “catch your breath”. Thanks for sharing. Ageing sucks
Hi Gwynne,
Oh I was sweating…it was one of those cold sweats associated with nausea, plus the sweat from doing the work…what a totally weird kind of sweat!
When I took the photo I had just wiped my face.
I was thinking one thought at a time in the state I was in. Thus, I thought “I’ll wipe my face now.” Then, “Maybe I should take a pic for the blog and blah blah…”.
Had I not been in a stuper I (hopefully) would have thought to reverse the order.
Hi Lindsay,
That is precisely why I stopped using oil pastels…too dang heavy!
And yes, aging does suck (and wheeze and moan and…)
Well, I must dissent. I think aging is, as they say, better than the alternative. Though the symptoms of aging are sometimes a bit of a challenge - like portraiture, I might add. I cannot say about the likeness, but I think it’s a pretty nice sketch. For instance, the glasses like really perched on their perch there. In any event, definitely do more people (even more versions of yourself). I think it’s always interesting. And yes, it’s always a challenge.
Ya know, you have a point there Karen. And I will do more people. Like all the other subjects, you get better with practice.
Isn’t it funny how people are so hard though? The likeness is illusive.
Thanks for commenting!
I’ve drawn people/faces most of my life. Definitely gotten better over the years. My landscape skills need some work, however. In any case, I find it’s harder to draw a good likeness of myself than of just about anyone else.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for commenting!
I think likenesses are one of the hardest skills to attain.
I’ve not gotten close enough to even tell which I do better, myself or others.
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