A Super Special Holiday Commission

I know other peoples’ family portraits aren’t always the most exciting artwork to look at, which is part of the reason why I don’t share all of my commissions publicly, but this is one I’m especially proud of. Not only because of the meaningful concept, but because of the rough references I had to pull magic out of.

I was asked by my client to combine this photo of her grandma in an old photograph…

with this much more recent photo of her father, which was facing the wrong direction and with different lighting….yikes!

I really had to do my very best to blow up the image and pull out as many details as possible. Like these lovely blue eyes I didn’t even realize she had!

Here’s a little side-by-side comparison to see what I was able to get out of these images. I have turned down super out of focus image references in the past, simply explaining that I can only use what’s there so if the ‘info’ is not in the photo, then the painting surely won’t be able to make it up accurately.

I’m glad I didn’t have to turn down this one though, since my clients grandma is deceased and that’s the only photo she was able to get of her. Luckily the dad’s pic was much clearer and I was able to flip it and rework the shadows just a bit to match the grandmother’s light source.

And I even made a lil video of the process:

Well I will say it was definitely a challenge, but you know I kinda like those, so all was great in the end.

And most important of all my client loved it, she even told me it brought her own mama to tears. That definitely makes it all worth it:)

If you’re interested in a custom oil painting or pencil drawing of your family, feel free to drop me a message at caleigh@caleighbirdart.com

12.22.2021

Music Room Mural

Painting this music room mural earlier this year was a great learning exercise for me! Remember that other interior mural I did of the beach scene a few months ago? (Find it here if not) Well, this one is in the same building and I completed them during the same week which worked out well for maximum efficiency for letting paint dry.

I used all interior house paint for this musical mural, and if you watch the vid you'll find out why the painting focused on percussion instruments too. Enjoy!

8.23.2020

Clown Portrait Commission

Whelp, I’ve thought long and hard, and I think I’ve decided to give it all up for clown portraiture…

I just dropped off my latest commission yesterday and what an exciting spot it was indeed! My mom’s neighbor tapped me to repaint the badly damaged doorway portrait of Toby the Clown, who is the namesake of a local clown museum and school. It was my first time in the building and wow, I can honestly say I have never been in the midst of so much clown art in my life!

Although this is definitely one of my sillier commissions, I’m actually very honored to be asked to repaint this portrait because although Toby has passed away, he is beloved by many folks, including lots of other local clowns, and the folks who’ve seen the painting already say his warm and friendly personality really shines through, which means a lot to a portrait artist who has never met her subject in person.

They were super sweet and gave me a special surfing clown figurine since they knew I’m still fresh from the island life - so adorable. I was actually nicely surprised with the quality of some of the paintings. Check out the two portraits on the left in this pic, they were done by Red Skelton!

Below you can see the damage done to the original painting by the outdoor elements. I repainted it in oil, which will hold well but the gals down at the clown museum understand the face will probably need to be repainted every 3-5 years no matter what.

It’s definitely not what I’m used to, but I’ll take a great learning experience any time! I can officially add ‘Clown Portraiture’ into my repertoire now - ha!

Literally a few thousand figurines in the collection! Not exactly where I’d want to sleep at night, but totally awesome nonetheless!

5.28.2020

My Favorite Figure Drawing Materials

Figure drawing supplies can range from pastels to pencils to charcoal and beyond. Today I'm going to show you my favorite brands of ultra smooth pastel pencils that I use to create life drawings, along with the best erasers I've discovered.

Also I share with you my favorite high toothed, toned paper that I use to hand make my own sketchbooks. If you would like more information about how to get your own made-with-love sketchbook during the next release pop over here for all the info.

Here are the materials I use: (Any purchases through my special Dick Blick links help to support my channel. Thank you!!)

Carbothello Pencils:

Bister

https://bit.ly/2pXPKeJ

Burnt Umber

https://bit.ly/2Iio6AD

Warm Grey #4

https://bit.ly/2H3PH98

Payne's Grey

https://bit.ly/2uDWdRx

Prussian Blue

https://bit.ly/2Gtoekf

Raw Umber

https://bit.ly/2pYbffp

Caput Mortuum Violet Pastel:

https://bit.ly/2U0zeaO

White Pastels:

http://bit.ly/2Gj70Ex

http://bit.ly/2UzNgp4

http://bit.ly/2VFyeL1

Kneaded Eraser:

https://bit.ly/2WOwYWA

Vinyl Eraser:

https://bit.ly/2DfSDOM

https://bit.ly/2Sxdd6H

Mono Zero:

https://bit.ly/2DfU93e

Eraser Refill:

https://bit.ly/2SC64C0

Canson Toned Paper:

http://bit.ly/2Z5uKmY

I usually draw from life, but for these demos I use figure drawing reference websites such as:

https://www.line-of-action.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing

http://www.onairvideo.com/croquis-cafe.html

4.12.2019

Inspo Saturdays :: A Special Hawaiian Project

So in my personal life as a working artist, I try to be a "yes" person as much as possible. Even when I am first approached to do something that seems outside of my comfort zone or area of expertise, I suck it up and put on a smile and secretly cross my fingers hoping that I'll figure it out well enough along the way. 

Over the years one life lesson I have picked up is if you really want to make it in this business, you have to learn to not doubt yourself and just get excited about whatever opportunities come your way. 

Not my photo, but taken in a spot where I got to swim with two sea turtles

What came my way recently has been my first opportunity at art licensing! Woo Hoo! Some friends-of-friends out here on O'ahu are going to be making mini surfboards as a collectors item and they had a few specific Hawai'ian designs they were looking to have created as .png images and then  mounted on an entire series of different colored boards.

 Lo and behold, I meet one of the developers, he sees my snazzy business cards and website with my charcoal drawings, and boom! I've got two new commissions.

Certainly landscapes and wildlife are not in my normal repertoire, but I have learned to throw self-doubt out the window and tackle commissions with aplomb. Not to mention that I live in Palolo, which is a valley directly behind the legendary Diamond Head Crater so I see it every day. Plus, I've been blessed with Aloha and have enjoyed the magical experience of swimming around with sea turtles twice since moving here.

It can be scary to put yourself out there (terrifying, in fact) but I think it was my mother who told me that if someone wants to hire me for a creative gig, it's because they believe I can do it and so should I. Sage advice I think all of us creatives can all take!

My drawing of more of a classic pre-settlement Diamond Head Crater with canoe surfers in the water

Diamond Head today as seen from a harbor cruise

In summation, Hawai'i is fan-freakin-tastic (thanks, Captain Obvious!) and I love it here. I just realized during the writing of this post that today actually marks the one year anniversary of my living here on O'ahu - incredible how time flies! So here is a little slide-show of this past year's adventures here and on my trip to Big Island. (And that handsome chap you see me with is my loving boyfriend and the reason I moved out here, Tim. Lucky me!) Enjoy:)

Have you ever visited Hawai'i or any other Pacific Island? I have yet to venture towards Asia, but I can't wait to do so! I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments! 

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originally posted: December 31, 2016