29 Faces September 2016 Challenge - Faces 10,11, and 12- Audrey Hepburn

So I have fallen behind on the drawings this month, and I am now playing catch up.  Actually, behind the scenes, I've drawn a few less than satisfying images and decided to toss them entirely.  Today I am presenting three images of Audrey Hepburn for my next three attempts.  I found images of her in black and white that were rather striking and tried to replicate them.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"One of my favorite quotes by Audrey is "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, 'I'm possible.'"

~Peace Out~

September 2016 29 Faces Challenge - Face 9 - Marilyn Monroe

"Marilyn Monroe," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

I like trying to draw images of Marilyn Monroe for a number of reasons.  First, there are so many pictures of her and poses to choose from, and secondly, here iconic look is hard to duplicate, so if you manage it, you've accomplished something.  This image I think falls a bit short as to me, it looks more like Madonna than Marilyn, and a lot of it has to do with the position of the jaw.  The image has Marilyn looking slightly upward, but I did struggle with the angle.  Still, I don't feel this is a total loss and I still like the look of the image. Sometimes we just have to let the art stand for itself and let go of the original definition of what we thought we were creating.

Quote from Marilyn that aligns with this idea: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."

~Peace Out~

September 2016 29 Faces Challenge – Face 8 – Channing Tatum

"Channing Tatum," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

So this is my attempt at drawing Channing Tatum after my daughter suggest I give it a try.  I like some of his recent movies, after all, who among us doesn’t like Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL?  I also liked his role in White House Down.  I didn’t realize until today he had an uncredited role in the War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, and he was next to impossible to see in Ricky Martin’s video “She Bangs,” until I found an image actually pointing him out.  I also think he has an interesting character in Jupiter Ascending, although admittedly, I haven’t had a chance to see the whole film just yet.

I definitely like his down to earth attitude as is conveyed in this quote, “Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful things like a double cheeseburger.” – Channing Tatum

After all, there’s nothing like a good cheeseburger. ;)

~Peace Out~

29 Faces September 2016 – Face 7 – Harvey Keitel

"Harvey Keitel," by Dayna Winters, Copyright 2016.

I have come to appreciate the acting skills of Harvey Keitel, particularly in roles like “Dusk to Dawn,” where he played a vampire-fighting preacher, and of course, “Pulp Fiction,” where he played the Wolf.  My favorite line in Pulp Fiction comes from when the Wolf (Keitel) addresses Vincent Vega (John Travolta,)” and (Jules Winnfield) as he tells them how to get out of the current bind they are in.  Vincent decides to get a bit sarcastic with the Wolf, and is quickly put in his place (Love it!)…

“Get it straight buster - I'm not here to say please, I'm here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess you'd better fucking do it and do it quick. I'm here to help - if my help's not appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen… If I'm curt with you it's because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast and I need you guys to act fast if you wanna get out of this. So, pretty please... with sugar on top. Clean the fucking car.” – The Wolf, “Pulp Fiction”

And the line he says later on in the movie: "Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character."

I also enjoyed Harvey’s role in Thelma and Louise as the cop pursuing the two woman as they move across the country and try to get to Mexico.  Even more hilarious is when he plays Satan in Adam Sandler’s “Little Nicky.”  All around a great actor and as drawing faces go, a considerable challenge.  His face has a lot of character, and I did my best to capture it.

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge - Face 6 - Christopher Walkens

"Christopher Walken," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Every once and a while I like to do a drawing and then bravely play the "Guess who?" game with friends and family.  If the majority of people get who it is in the image, then I know I've done a fairly sufficient job in capturing the person I'm and trying to capture.  On this go round, I showed several people my most recent drawing and the response was surprisingly the same..."I can't remember his name but he's the guy in the movie 'Joe Dirt," right?"

Right they are...today's drawing is Christopher Walken, and while he was funny in "Joe Dirt," I remember him from an earlier film....Stephen King's, "The Dead Zone." (Loved the movie absolutely, but the book is better.)  I also thought he was great in the Adam Sandler movie, "Click," and he's just an all around great actor.

And I'll close from with a quote from Walken: "I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that all by myself."

Until next time...~Peace out.~ :)

29 Faces Challenge September 2016 Face 5 - Mick Jagger

"Mick Jagger," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

The first time I ever saw Mick Jagger in a movie, it was in the 1992 film "Freejack," co-starring Emilio Estevez, where Jagger played the role of Victor Vacendak and honestly, I liked him in the role.  

The list of the Rolling Stones songs I appreciate is pretty long, but off the top of my head I can say I enjoy songs like "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," "Angie," "Beast of Burden," and "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

Interestingly, we discovered one of our pugs doesn't really have the appreciation for the Rolling Stones that we do, and we made this discovery quite by accident. One day we were watching a movie featuring Denzel Washington and John Goodman - the supernatural thriller  "Fallen." Great flick too - I highly recommend it. If my memory serves me correctly, the movie portrayed a demonic angel named Azazel, jumping from one person's body to another throughout the film, as he sinisterly and repeatedly defied and tormented a detective played by Denzel Washington. Definitely, it is a film I would revisit and recommend for anyone who enjoys a film with a few eerie twists.

Anyway, as the credits of the film rolled, "Sympathy for the Devil," played in the background and Puggles, our male pug, began barking and squawking and putting up a protest like no other!  Every time the song broke out with the chorus:

"Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
(Woo woo, woo woo)...."

I still think it was the (woo woo, woo woo) section that was freaking him out!  LoL, and even now he acts up every time the song plays - sooooooooooo...if I want to chill out and listen to "Sympathy for the Devil," I have to do so when Puggy is out of earshot or I have to put my headphones on, unless I want to get him hooting and hollering!

Anyway, here's my rendition of Mick Jagger. He really has a lot of definition in the face and his look is so icon I attempted, as best as I could, to capture every feature.

And... here's a quote from Jagger to remind us all how important it is to dream big and to pursue our dreams as long as we are able:

"Lose your dreams and you might lose your mind."~ Mick Jagger~

29 Faces Challenge September 2016 - Face 4 Gene Wilder

"Gene Wilder," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

With the recent passing of Gene Wilder, I really wanted to try to draw the artist I remember from the original Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory when I was a kid (No offense to Tim Burton and his rendition, and yes, I like Johnny Depp,  but I really didn’t care for Depp as Willy Wonka at all.) 

Of course, I’m not big on remakes unless it is a real knock my socks of rendition. I didn’t care for the remakes of The Omen or Amityville either, bu t that’s another story entirely.  I will say that Disturb’s rendition of “The Sound of Silence” is a remake of the Simon & Garfunkel classic that floored me and I walked away seriously impressed – I almost think it is even better than the original (dare I say it?).  

Anyway, here’s my rendition of Gene…admittedly I had some trouble with the chin and perimeter of the face, but I don’t think it’s too bad. Results: I'm mildly satisfied with at the moment.

This piece is done with Derwent and Prismacolor pencils.

~Peace out~

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge Face 3 - Steven Tyler

"Steven Tyler," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Thought I would give Steven Tyler a try, with his iconic looks I figured I'd either do it right or miss the mark entirely.  I think I did okay here and feel he is recognizable, even if I didn't say who he was right at the start. 

I'd be giving away my age here when I say I first listened to Aerosmith on a cassette tape - that's right, I said it (lol).  A cassette tape, which at the time  was a real pain in the ass to reward to get it right on the song you wanted to here.  The tape was: "Toys in the Attic."

Here's a great quote from Tyler for those who need a bit of inspiration or deep insight: "Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."

With that being said, who of my generation would have thought Tyler would eventually start writing country music?  Amazing. Absolutely.

29 Faces 2016 Challenge Face 2 - Alicia Silverstone

"Alicia Silverstone," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

I remember Silverstone in her roles in Clueless, which I wasn't overly crazy about, but found it mildly entertaining, and The Crush, which a found a lot more entertaining and dramatic than Clueless. I also remember her appearances in the Aerosmith videos Cryin'; Crazy; and Amazing, all of which are songs I love.

Quote: "I think I can deceive people. I'm like, the nice, sweet girl when you meet me. And I don't have any bad intentions. But I'm a bad girl too." - Alicia Silverstone

This is my attempt to draw Alicia Silverstone, and admittedly I found her iconic pouty look a bit of a challenge.  Otherwise, I am satisfied with the piece. 

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge – Meryl Streep

"Meryl Streep," Graphite Pencil, by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

So, the 29 Faces September 2016 is here, and I’m back at the drawing board again in an effort to try and meet the challenge. Of course, doing any art at all and blogging about it is the real challenge, whether or not you actually meet the 29 Faces count.  So without further ado…my first drawing is an attempt at Meryl Streep.

Streep has always been an actress I’ve appreciated, especially for how flexible she is with her acting and roles. I liked the movie She-Devil where she co-stars with Rosanne Barr, who plays a Ruth: worn out, tired housewife trying to please her husband Bob (played by Ed Begley, Jr) any way possible. Streep plays Mary Fisher, the glamorous writer and mistress who ends up getting her just rewards when the Bob ends up cheating on her and treating her just like his wife.

I also enjoyed the reincarnation/live evaluation theme in the 1991 film Defending Your Life, where she is a woman in limbo trying to get into Heaven; here she must go through a trial to review all she did in her life. Those who are on trial have their life actions evaluated. If considered exceptional, those living good lives could move onto heaven while those who had lives that were less than extraordinary or wholesome would reincarnate in an effort to get it right. 

Even better was the 1992 release of Death Becomes Her where she costars along with Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis; this film is a hysterical dark comedy where Streep is an aging actress having considerable difficulty accepting the fact that she is getting older and that age is affecting her looks. She takes a potion given to her that promises to keep her young and alive forever, but not without later being forced to face dire consequences for defying the natural order of things.

The Manchurian Candidate, where so co-stars with Denzel Washington, is a film featuring Streep as a vindictive senator and mother of a son running for vice president. The film is one of many showing Streep’s extensive acting skills and how easily she moves from a dark comedic roll, to a more dramatic one, all without missing a beat.  I’ve also seen and appreciated The Devil Wears Prada, Mastering the Art of French Cooking wear she played the role of Julie Child, and the most recent film I watched was It's Complicated where Streep co-starred with Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin (A great film if you are looking for some highly comedic moments).

On a final note, one of my favorite quotes by Streep is: “Everything we say signifies; everything counts, that we put out into the world. It impacts on kids, it impacts on the zeitgeist of the time. - Meryl Streep.”

When attempting to draw Meryl, I think the cheekbones and facial structure was the most challenging, but overall I am satisfied with the result. I chose graphite pencil for the drawing simply because I enjoy doing pencil sketches and attempting to give the image some varying degrees of depth and shading with a single color rather than multiple colors. Of course, I enjoy colored pencils too J, but I am perfectly content drawing with plain pencil any day of the week.