Sunday, March 25, 2007



I Spy......
(speed drawing, self portrait)

32 comments:

Ammon said...

I really like how faint this is and the subtle highlights. Well done.

simon said...

NOW! what I REALLY love is the contrasts in your Drawing/painting styles!

Really fantastic and always surprising!

Brian the Mennonite said...

I like what ammon said. Very good description of why I like this so much. Are the highlights done with chalk?

merlinprincesse said...

Speed? You're not JOKING? :)))) It would take me years to draw like that..Hhehehe! :)))) BTW.... Jake Carots did NOT died that day... He was saved by a big mamma.... But she ate him...Hhehhehe....

Unknown said...

You never cease to amaze me. What a beautiful self portrait.

studio lolo said...

This is one of those drawings that takes on a new life if you squint while looking at it. Awesome!

LDahl said...

Ammon, to properly spy, one must blend into the background.

Simon, more surprises there than first meets the eye.

Brian, thanks... nah it's all computer...for a reason.
Have you ever seen Spy VS Spy? The black and white characters from Mad...one Spy is always trying to do the other one in, but his plans always get inverted and he is the one done in. :)))

Merlinprincesse... 30 minutes is all you get, no joke!
Big Momma ate Jake? EEEEK! Carrot zombies!!!!!!!!

Thanks Toni... this was fun because of what I was trying to do besides a self portrait, like comedy and tragedy, the two masks. Looking and seeing...duel natures.

Studio Lolo, heheh. Have I been caught in my Spy game? I do think you have a clue.

Cream said...

Thirty minutes! Wow!
It's like a carving in white marble. Beautiful!

Ellen Byrne said...

very beautiful work!

carla said...

Emerging from the mist... This is really lovely, and quite impressive for a 30 minute endeavor! Beautiful work, Lilah:>

Queen Tut said...

Enjoyed the fine detail in the hair and then the strong powerful over exposed feel vertically.

° said...

i really like this it has just a great mood and feel to it did u invert it

LDahl said...

Thanks Cream, I would love to be immortalized in marble..heheh....isn't that silly of me, but really, can you think of anything better for a girls ego?

Ellen, thank you!

Carla, the temptation to go over 30 was strong in this one:)))

Queen Tut, thanks for saying that instead of "why didn't you brush your hair" heheh!


md, I drew it(computer)inverted then I inverted it and painted more and then I inverted the inversion, drew more, then time was up:( ... invert it and you will get a surprise...I spy!!

Anonymous said...

ciao, thanx for your kind comment...this spooky self-portrait is amazingly beatiful...greta work!

Merisi said...

I can only imagine how your method of inversing a drawing works, but the outcome reminds me of the dreamlike quality of black and white infrared photographs of trees (well, maybe I spent too much time in the photo lab, you know, all those chemicals slowly deteriorating your brain *g*).
Anyway, I like it. :-)

LDahl said...

Aynaku... I can be spooky in person too...heheh! Nah, just kidding.

Merisi, just draw light for dark, reverse, draw dark for light, reverse...continue until done. I'm slow, I would need an hour to get this where I would really like it to be, with both potraits perfect. Letting go is one thing I'm learning with the speed paintings.
And I'm lazy and want to move on to playing with some other ideas:)))
You process your own photos? Now I'm doubly impressed with you!

Paul said...

I like the ethereal quality.

Thanks for your comment on my blog. Unfortunately I can't post further comments to that particular thread because one individual was becoming antagonistic and too - I guess "focused" or "invested" might be good words - on that discussion.

Look forward to hearing from you on any further threads that catch your interest and I'll stop by again -

Paul

LDahl said...

Thanks Paul!
I know what you mean, some people just want to fuss to be fussing:)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by -- meant so much! Lovely image, so delicate, yet strong.

Merisi said...

I develop and print only b/w, but haven't sínce I am in Vienna. Somehow I'm still not settled after a year and a half, meaning no time for luxuries like looking for a lab or even shooting b/w. I comfort myself with digital point and shoot. It's like having the cake and eat it too. :-)

Janice Ykema said...

this is inspirational... I think... Im gonna try some inversing... (looking down the list I have here... uh.. someday!) beautiful entry. lovely sense of mystery and illusion.

Tony Sarrecchia said...

That is really cool. What did you do for the texture on this?

LDahl said...

Albina, well, I get to missing you! I look at your teapot and flower every day and I think how lucky I am to have these little treats.

Merisi, I know what you mean, I've been here for two years already...not even unpacked yet. I've done a lot and all, but it never seems like I have enough time. Oh well! :))) Somehow I do think it is going to get better in the next couple of months. I'm going to run see what you have posted today and then it's off to bed for me... it's raining here again tonight...yeah!!

Janice thank you so much!

Tony Sarrecchia ..this one, nothing, it is just fast drawing(computer)...no clean up:))) Invert it for more fun.

If you meant the one below, that is watercolor(not computer) and I built the texture before I did the figure.

andrea said...

Beautiful for a 30 minute job. It's so ethereal. You should do fast ones more often!

valerie walsh said...

soft and glowy! love it!

Merisi said...

I realized only now that you are up for a "round birthday" party! Let me just point out, that you look pretty good for your age!!! :-)))))))))

Romeo Morningwood said...

I loved spy versus spy back in the day before I abandoned MAD magazine (the gateway zine) for National Lampoon...and I loved Jack Rickard and Don Martin.

Your portrait is haunting but I could never be afraid of any ghost with such a perfect nose.
I give your negative a very positive review.

LDahl said...

Andrea, I'm getting so I like to do them (fast ones) quite a lot, but right now I'm stuck doing some really slow ones:( Oh well, it's all balance, right?

Thanks Val!

Merisi, you read my profile didn't you...heheh... I lied, I'm not really a rat, but of course I'm only 229:)))

Homo Escapeons, Don Martin, still love his work! Something tells me you just might have inverted this,your comment really gave me a smile, thanks!:)

Cate said...

Hauntingly beautiful. I wonder what she is looking at.

P.S. I'm amazed that this is speed drawing. It would take me 27 years to produce something as beautiful.

LDahl said...

Cate, I think I've been at it for longer than that!:)))

Chuang Shyue Chou said...

Did you use a mirror or photo for this?

Were you working from memory?

LDahl said...

Hi Chuang... just memory.