Pencil portrait artist discusses real life in this time lapse art video

When my husband asked me to create a piece for his parents I felt honored.  However, I was unsure of how I would create a piece that would feel contemporary, speak to their deep love for each other, and not come across as simply another static drawing. 

As I often do, I found myself looking at other artists work on Pinterest for inspiration, and came across some incredible pieces that really gave the feeling of having life within them.  The pieces I loved the most were ones where the artist had used a really loose style of cross hatching.  Of course – cross hatching!   I instantly remembered experimenting with this technique in school, and I had a feeling that this would be the technique that would create a feeling of life in this piece too.

Cross hatching is basically just what is sounds like.  Short pencil lines are used side by side to create the shading, and then pencil lines are created cross ways to the first ones.  Each layer builds on the other, and creates darker and darker tones, depending on how many times you go over an area. 

I really love the way that the cross-hatching technique created a feeling of movement in this couple’s portrait. As I slowly hatched the lines, I felt as if I was almost referencing their years together.  With each layer, I thought about the stories of their lives.  The places they lived, the children they had.  The ups and downs of life woven into an intricate fabric.  Stories of tears, stories of laughter and of love.  Good times, hard times - times we all experience.

​Follow along with my goofy self, and watch my time lapse art video to see the finished portrait!