More Than Just a Pretty Face: Quilted Portraits, Figures and More

“More Than Just a Pretty Face” is Book 2 in Phyllis Cullen’s and Cindy Richard’s fabric portrait series. In Book 1, “It's All About the Face,” the authors set out the basics of the actual quilt construction process, creating the pattern using Photoshop Elements and choosing fabrics, assembling the quilt top and quilting it.In “More Than Just a Pretty Face,” Phyllis and Cindy go into greater depth in the portrait process of face and figure, with an emphasis on anatomy, photography and taking good reference photos, while focusing on light, positioning, composition and background settings. The authors compare various digital programs that assist in producing patterns and also explore what makes a good pattern, especially for babies. They discuss how to choose fabrics according to value and how to use cellphones to check that values are correct.Since capturing the essence of the subject is the goal, Phyllis and Cindy consider the figure in depth, including facial expressions, body language and principles of art. Along the way they explore challenges in lighting, difficult reference photos, and issues like eyeglasses, clothing and unusual features.Using large, full-color, detailed images they devote a chapter to contour quilting to show you how to add dimensionality to your subjects. The book explores realistic, abstract and other genres, including AI-generated works with multiple examples from the world of contemporary fabric art.Phyllis and Cindy teach classes and offer workshops and lectures based on the concepts in both “It's All About the Face,” and “More Than Just a Pretty Face.” They want you to succeed, so they provide a forum on Facebook called It’s All About the Face,where artists share and discuss the intricacies of creating fabric portraits. Visit their group and check out their books. You are sure to enjoy the fascinating journey of fabric portraiture. Read more