Jimmy Page 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge

I chose this limited palette rendition of Jimmy Page, just because I thought it was a good rock pose. I only found out through a friend that this is an atypical shot of Page "playing a Telly instead of his signature Les Paul". So now I've learned something. It is an 8" x 10" acrylic portrait on canvas available at My Good Babushka!

Robert Plant 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge!!

I've finished with this Robert Plant! 11" x 14" acrylic on canvas, available direct from the artist in my etsy shop My Good Babushka!

Robert Plant 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge!!

The Robert Plant portrait in progress. What an iconic mass of red curls!

100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge!! Robert Plant

Before I move on to the second artist on the list, I've decided to do a few more Zeppelin pieces. Robert Plant right here.

Led Zeppelin 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge

I have the best kitchen, and I love working in my kitchen, but I haven't bought curtains for it yet. So on the rare occasion there is a sunny day, I get blinded! You can see the blinding slice of sunlight cutting across my work area. Even in the face of such adversity, I was able to finish my first painting in my self-directed 100 Greatest Hard Rock Portrait Challenge! Yay! Led Zeppelin!


Led Zeppelin Original Painting available now at My Good Babushka!

Led Zeppelin 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge

Jimmy Page with half eaten sandwich! I am painting on canvas board here because I am sitting at a flat table, instead of at an easel. I find the canvas board is much better to work with since I can lean on it and put my sandwiches and coffee cups on it. When I work with stretched canvas at the table I end up leaning on it and loosening it. And when that happens I just spritz the back of the canvas with water and let it dry overnight. It's tight as a drum the next morning. There is a tip for all you painters out there!

Led Zeppelin 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge!

I spent a good bit of time working up the texture of the white shirt, and doing touch ups on the two completed portraits. I'm now past the half way mark of my first hard rock portrait! Yay!

Led Zeppelin 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists Portrait Challenge

Spent a good bit of time working up the texture of Robert Plant's furr-ish coat. As well as his furr-ish hair. And that very distinctive smirky smile.

Led Zeppelin 100 Greatest Hard Rock Portrait Challenge

Here I am, taking on the self-imposed 100 Greatest Hard Rock Portrait Challenge. I'm going to paint portraits of all the artists on the top 100 list of hard rock artists. I hope you are enjoying it so far, even though we are still on number one- Led Zeppelin.


Here is a video for D'yer Mak'er. I have a memory from high school about this song, it was either Carrie who told Tracy or Tracy who told Carrie, that this was the sexiest song she ever heard! What's the sexiest song you ever heard?

Led Zeppelin 100 Greatest Hard Rock Challenge

As I said previously, I am going to work my way, portrait-wise, through VH1's list of 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists.

#1 is Led Zeppelin. I have to admit that I don't like Stairway to Heaven, or any of that semi-mystical, greensleeves 70s rock style. I prefer the bluesier stuff. Matthew first heard Dazed and Confused on a YouTube compilation of tornado videos, but I can't really remember the first time I heard Led Zeppelin. How about you?

Led Zeppelin from the 100 Greatest Hard Rock Challenge

My older son has been choosing the radio station we have on in the kitchen, and he's settled on the classic rock station WNCD The Wolf. I imagine there are Clear Channel clones all over the country, where you can hear lots of Van Halen, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and the like.

Listening to the music with him has been fun, and very often I feel like I'm hearing the songs for the first time, as he is. I have a new appreciation for how fun rock and roll is. And a new appreciation for how important it is to have fun and enjoy yourself. I used to listen to fun music before I became a cranky teenager, but then it was the trends that changed, too. Rock music got sort of gloomy in the 90s, with Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails and such.

To celebrate my re-discovery of rock and roll, and to pass the time, I've dug up a list of 100 greatest hard rock artists. I've decided to do portraits of the entire list. I hope this will be fun, and my blog readers will share their own favorites and personal recollections and memories of first time listenings along the way.

Number one is Led Zeppelin! Let's rock and roll.