3 new portraits: african children (UPDATE: info about children added)

[thriftjunkie]

i was asked to draw some portraits for a charity that supports heath care in africa, so i decided to draw three 4-6 year old african girls.

these were drawn with black and white colored pencils on gray paper. i used a black pigment liner to add highlights.

Gugu (the girl without face paint), Anele (the girl with beaded necklaces), and Ntando (the girl with whiskered face paint) live in a Zulu village near St. Lucia, in South Africa. This area is heavily affected by HIV/AIDS, so many young children in this village have lost one or both parents and are in desperate need of care. These three girls attend a free day care center that was established in order to meet the basic needs of children aged one to five. In these drawings, the girls are waiting to participate in the day care center’s end-of-term event involving traditional Zulu music and dancing.







the amazing photographer who took the reference pictures is here:
http://flickr.com/photos/marleenlammers/

UPDATE:
i just framed them!

[ingysoup]

All I can say is WOW!  (And a WOW for the photographer as well)  You are certainly talented.  Would you share what type of paper and pencils you used?  And how great that they're for such a great cause.  You rock for that alone!

[thriftjunkie]

All I can say is WOW!  (And a WOW for the photographer as well)  You are certainly talented.  Would you share what type of paper and pencils you used?  And how great that they're for such a great cause.  You rock for that alone!

thank you. i used some gray paper that i got from joanne's fabrics- i really have no idea about what kind of paper i should be using. i always use prismacolors though- a black one and a white one. and i used a pigment liner to add highlights.

[ScrappySue]

Awesome!
these are amazing,
thanks for sharing your gift with us
S

[nofury]

You are an amazing artist with a wonderful gift! I hope you continue to share your work with us!

[just*chris]

these drawings are amazing! 

i voted that this rocks, b/c it is incredible

[kaleesi]

Wow - I can't believe how totally real and gorgeous they look. I am just amazed at your gift!!!!

[The Muffin]

They're all amazing! Try not to be so hard on yourself, you're very talented. I'm going to go hit this rock after I post this.

[hippiejo74]

  These are amazing! As an (ongoing) art student, these would make anyone I know EXTREMELY happy - and you are giving them away for a great cause! You rock!

[thriftjunkie]

They're all amazing! Try not to be so hard on yourself, you're very talented. I'm going to go hit this rock after I post this.

i think the reason i can replicate photos is because i am so perfectionistic and hard on myself...it's both a gift and a curse!