portraits the most fantastic skill an artist can have!!!!

True being able to sketch a portrait from life is an increadible skill and one that will have an artist never starve. This is a lost skill sadly and many never developed it. While most girls were running wild at parties in high school i was making money as a portrait artist . I am very traditionally trained so i could sketch your likeness by age 15 . Ok i did work up to this by drawing every cover of smash hits mag , dolly and metal edge. I was relentless till i go it right then took to people posing for me and i nailed that too . It took many years of hard work and a little natural talent . Mind you in saying that at the age of 5 i was doing landscapes better than most and by 12 selling them against old folk in local shopping centers .........................I cant say enough about being taught the rules before they are broken like i do now with my style. This would never have worked without all these years of working on my skills. ps.... I never take this for granted either and draw everyday in my visual diary.So yes being able to sketch from life will always mean you wont starve cause you can get a pencil and paper and hit the local mall and do portraits or work as a court room sketch artist or the really skilled can work with the police force as a sketch artist .........I have sketched in malls and worked as court room artist .............the police force did not appeal to me with the hours and its bit too on call for me. I am happy to be able too paint what i want now but then you cant have the sweet without the sour...x this is my latest entry for the achibald ......scarred for life "angry anderson"