Post your first picture

I am so saddened about your brother. Every time I see a picture of him (he's easy to pick out!) I think of how close you two must have been. I'm glad you have so many special shots of him in your portfolio. He sounds like he was an amazing person.

He was special.

I've been painting faces and hands for years as a PTA volunteer, but nothing I've ever taken pictures of and certainly nothing with professional paints...

I received my first Snaz kit the week before last and after staring at them for a day I decided to at least try them.

First, I practiced some brush strokes on my daughter until she complained about them looking like 'broken flowers', so I TRIED to make a vine of flowers out of the floral carnage: Sorry about the image size, I can't seem to figure out the resize feature in the gallery, I'll just have to upload smaller pictures from now on...


Then I was entreated to make a butterfly like the ones she saw here. I was still a little nervous about the paints so I used mineral makeup as a base until I could get the blending thing down. Mind you, I have yet to see a butterfly with a creepy grin here, but she insisted...it won't happen again...



5 days later...

I attempted what I like to call the "Better-fly". This time, I'd pored over every tutorial I could find and watched blending techniques like a hawk and I felt ready to only use Snaz paints. It's not the best work, but it's a marked improvement from where I started! When I think of all of those years of crude face paints I've done...I could cringe...but I won't. I'm just so stoked that I could improve even a little after 5 days here! Though I was still nervous and it was reflected in my brush strokes (or lack there of)...I'm pretty happy with this one:





And finally, after I got done with my daughter, my son asked me to make him look like he had peeled away facial skin to reveal his reptilian inards (without blood or gore). After I stared at him incredulously for a few minutes I took a deep breath and made the attempt. What he got looks more like someone stuck crude lizard scale stickers on him, but he loved it...and I guess that's what really matters. While I had his forehead at my disposal, I tried to imitate a tribal design that I saw on Youtube. All Snaz with the exception of some Mehron gold for a few gilted scales. I REALLY want to learn how to improve upon this one!

Great progress, and I like the idea with revealing scales. Can I borrow that?

Love it! I Like the half human, half reptile creature look..really creative

Knock yourself off Lonewolf, lol! I'm certain YOU will do it justice. I would love to see how you 'fix' it so it's more realistic!
Thanks Renee, it does a mother proud to know that her son has a mind like that...sort of. BTW, how long have you live in HI? I grew up on Oahu!

Hi..I lived on the Big Island all my life..My sister lives on Oahu..Waipio Gentry

My try. That boy was all over the place! *lol* But okay first try, I think =)

Lone Wolf, I really like the way you painted it so that it looks like the skin has been ripped...I'm going to have to try that. Also, the accentuating eyecolor and the mouth are really cool! I'm so flattered that you liked my 'attempt' at it! I can't wait till my son gets in trouble (and he will), I can offer him a 'get out of jail free' card by allowing him to pay his "debt" by letting me paint him again! He says the scales tickle when I make them so he doesn't want to endure that again!

Renee,
I wish we'd lived on the Big Island! The tourism industry has destroyed Oahu and I don't even desire to go back! My parents went on little trips to Hawaii and Maui all the time...but never took us with them~

It's beautiful here..I'll visit my sister for several days on Oahu..but several days is all I can handle..We'll you should come and visit...Maui is becoming like Oahu..It once was my favorite Island..Un- touched like the Big Island...It's not as bad as Oahu

I've been to Oahu twice, and Maui, Kauai and the Big Island all once. My favourite was Maui (this was over a decade ago!) although I liked Oahu - Wakiki felt very much like downtown Vancouver to me so it was comfortable! Nicer weather though.

Shannon, I don't think you would like Oahu now..It is too busy and overly crowded..It is OK to stay for a few days, then jump to Maui

We ate tons of fresh pineapple when we were in Maui... OMG... it was SOOOOOOOOOO good!!

I used to live on Oahu and regret that I ever left. I have some wonderful memories. I miss certain foods especially. Miso Butterfish is one of them. Ono.