Larry’s smile finished. The words Cheri wrote about it are below the picture.
Larry's beard color (“5 o'clock shadow”) is very close to the grey of the paper. I built up the colors on his chin by layering different color pencils, the same as I did with the rest of his face. But I could also have left the grey paper showing and just applied some “flesh colors” very lightly to tone it a bit.
That section of rust-brown by his ear looks shocking because it's so dark. It will make more sense when I finish the transition along the jaw from the (highlighted) chin to the shadowed side of his face.
Cheri wrote:
“Larry liked people and would go out of his way to help anybody who needed it.
He never squawked about what he 'could have' been doing instead. He didn't usually wait to be asked for help either ... when he knew it was needed, he jumped in with both feet. He found an outlet for that attribute by volunteering for years with the Solano County Sheriff's Department and with the Office of Emergency Services. He has a binder full of certifications he earned so he could be on the 'front lines' with law enforcement and first responders and another binder full of commendations from them and for the SAR (Search and Rescue) groups he joined and served with over two decades.
To him, his family and the chosen friends who became part of his family - were more important than anything to him. He always put them first and foremost in his life. His unconditional love and devotion for them was never-ending. He gave his all and his best to those lucky people - myself included. Nothing was too much to ask. We all have a choice about how we will live our lives - and this is how he chose to live his...and he never wandered from it.
Blessed were those of us he loved - friends and family alike.”
I’ve had slow progress on this portrait because I've had a lot of challenges in my life lately. One more day’s work should finish Larry's head and neck.
Double portrait of Cheri McNealy and her beloved late husband Larry McNealy, in progress.
🎨 Prismacolor pencil on “Felt Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 20 x 24 inches.
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