Another new one ~ N. P. Harris

N. P. Harris, 2012.

I think I'm on a roll. Like the universe has aligned in some strange way causing a burst of enthusiasm to course through me. I've come around to completing a work in progress that has been very much neglected for well over half a year. You may remember the post Insanity...Jeez. In fact a quick read and I see that I had started this portrait long before such an entry. Ha! Well the insanity has very well ended, that, I am proud to say.

Well the subject is of course Neil Patrick Harris. This drawing is very well one of my best to date. I was very thrilled with the proportioning when the face began to emerge on the page when I first started. The toning came very naturally on the page. The black back drop was probably a mistake. It's the first time a chose to shade in the background. A bit more patience at the end when I shaded in the lower right corner was definitely warranted but I was too excited to get it over with. The hair is sketchy but unnoticeable because the focus is clearly the centre of the face ripple outwards.

I did at the beginning worry that the face would not fit well on the page. This is the first male portrait I have done and men have extraordinarily big foreheads. That, I did not realise until I had already set in the eyes, nose and mouth. I thought the forehead was going to be cut short at the top of the page. Luckily it all turn out well. I'm really happy with having made room for the top of the suit and tie. These elements add an effect that takes the portrait to a whole other level. A personality. An identity. It's Barney and nothing suits him like a suit. Cheesy, but, I had to say it.

One last thing I confess. I had a rule when I started my adventure into portraiture. I was not to ever draw crushes. This rule prevented a few portraits from creation for which I am grateful of. But this rule, I broke here. However, crushes are short lived and finishing this drawing more than half a year later, no longer is. And from the result, I am happy I broke the rule. It is one of my best.