i draw portraits, a lot. realistically. but i don't have anyone sit for me to model, i just go out and sketch strangers' faces. which means i only do really quick portraits. which is all very well, you know, no one's watching you, or giving their opinion, and you also don't .. know the person you're drawing, which for me makes it much easier to draw them.
like, with drawing friends for example, i just really know their features, and it's really hard to match that inner picture you have of them with what you're actually drawing.
so when i, say, sit on a bench and i secretly sketch the person on the bench across from me, there's way less pressure.
anyways, i don't enjoy having people look over my shoulder while i draw, or drawing someone and then letting that person see afterwards. which means that i try to avoid those situations altogether.
a few years ago, i did an art course, where we were seeing each other's work all the time, and drew each other all the time, modeled for each other etc. that was uncomfortable as well, but just part of the course, and you got used to it.
but i remember some situations where i actually tried drawing a family member and afterwards (rightfully) they asked to see... i guess i just am not good with criticism. or maybe i am? but i feel like, some people expect a portrait to be ... some kind of photograph of themselves and i can't really- no wait i'm actually just too insecure about, let's face it.
and the prospect of getting paid for the portrait, geez, that would be all the more pressure. big fat nope!
