Cooper portrait in progress 6 - The importance of “hair whirls”

1

At the beginning I sent this Photoshop layout to show the clients how Cooper’s portrait would look, fading out at the base of the neck. Brandon wrote:

“I know it’s right in that fading area, but one of the most distinctive features that I always appreciated about Cooper were the hair whirls on his chest.”

2

I sent Cooper’s photo back with this area circled and asked:

“Is this the area you mean? Do you want anything below that included? The shoulders on either side of the circled area, is that part of what you enjoyed also?”

When I focused on the pattern of white hairs on Cooper’s chest I began to notice the swirls of hair on his shoulders and neck too. He really did have an interesting and beautiful hair pattern.

Brandon verified:

"The whirl you circled and the areas just to the right and left of it. Just interesting fur patterns that are distinctive to him.”

3

When it’s a distinctive feature l the client really enjoys about their loved one, it’s important to include that, and portray it accurately. This was the result of two day's work on Cooper's shoulders and chest, down to the fade-out.

After seeing the in-progress pic, Brandon wrote:

“The whirls on his coat were captured exactly as I remember them. Thanks for leaving no stone unturned to get things just so.”

Here's a close-up of the pencilwork. I was very careful to make the white hairs stand out. The only white hairs in Cooper's coat.

🎨 Prismacolor pencil on “Flannel Grey” Canson Mi-Teintes paper, 11 x 14 inches.

Memorial portrait of Cooper

Commissioned by Rina Carrillo as a birthday gift for her partner Brandon Hedrick.