Bad Portraits by Karlee

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Portland, OR
Bad Portraits by Karlee

Bad Portraits are drawings of friends and strangers which I draw for fun and on commission. I also draw at events! Ink on paper, baby!

09/29/2023

Two more weddings this year and that’s a wrap for 2023! Now the holiday parties are starting to hit my calendar and I’m soooo excited. I don’t know how long I’ll continue this Bad Portraits project, but I’m having such a blast that I don’t want to stop anytime soon. Here’s to many more portrait sessions and the great parties that make them possible.

07/15/2023

“If you don’t wanna fall, don’t run over pinecones.”

Part 2 of portraits from A Curbside Serenade on Thursday. Thank you for the invite—I had a lovely time drawing people on my first ever portrait blanket. 🙃

05/10/2023

Sometimes I get sentimental looking through my camera roll after drawing at a party. At Sunday’s wedding there were so many vibrant souls, sweet convos, laughs so big they messed up the portraits, and even a hug from my last portrait subject of the night. 🥹

Andreia and Patrick know how to throw a party, that’s for sure—and at where the light and vibes are 💯✨

Special shout-out to the planner and detail queen who was so sweet so (finally!) work with and snapped a few photos of me with wedding guests.

03/26/2023

In a few weeks I get to draw at Brittanee and Ramsey’s wedding reception. 🤗

We had our pre-wedding portrait session the other day and I learned that they are really good at staying cool in the midst of raising 5 kiddos. Parents are basically mindfulness teachers.😌🙏🏼 Show me your ways.

03/18/2023

Shannon turned 50 and we celebrated last night at her family’s home. You know those people who create a community as they move through life? That’s the vibe I got from Shannon. The kind of person who instantly makes you feel like you belong and offers a beautiful depth of attention.

The party went from quiet and calm to loud and so full of laughter that I struggled to talk with the party guests at my table. Then as the night came to a close, Shannon opened birthday cards and hugged her friends goodbye. I drew her and her husband Casey when the house was nearly quiet again. She was beaming with gratitude at feeling so loved and seeing her home full of friends. This was a couple that deeply respected each other and worked as a team as they cared for those around them. Their voices were tender as they answered my questions about their relationship and their life together.

When I finished packing my supplies and prepared to depart, Shannon was standing in the kitchen in fancy striped pajamas, debriefing about the party with her closest girlfriends who were sleeping over, which seemed to me like the best way to end such a night.

💕🍾🥳

02/18/2023

Calling all event planners and soon-to-be newlyweds. I have space in my calendar this season to draw some wedding and party guests! If you're looking for the cherry on top of your party....just saying. 😉 Send me a message www.bykarlee.com

07/22/2019

This is what four straight hours of drawing looks like! Hosted by Expensify, this party was a diverse group of problem solvers, designers, tech geniuses and whoever else goes to open source software conferences. :D

05/27/2019

May has been a month full of celebrating through portraits at events, and I've added a lot of new faces to my website! Check em out and see all the fun things people say while I draw them. https://bykarlee.com/badportraits

04/25/2019

Three attempts at Beyoncé.✍🏽
(Who has watched Homecoming on Netflix??)
I’ve generally enjoyed drawing portraits in person more than from a photo. So much of the juiciness of a portrait happens while it’s drawn, in the personal interaction and experience.
👭
However I will admit that taking the time to draw from a photo has helped me hone my craft. Some portraits are much better on the second or third try. Other times, for the life of me I can’t seem to get someone’s face right! But that’s okay because this practice is not about perfection for me. It’s about celebration and fun. When a portrait looks like the person, I am always pleasantly surprised. It used to be very rare. Now with practice, I feel like I have a shot. ...No promises though. 😝

04/15/2019

I started drawing portraits simply because I'd be sitting with a friend when they said something I wanted to remember. I'd sketch their face very badly and jot down a quote. Now it always feels a little funny drawing someone from a photo instead of in person, even though drawing someone in person is more vulnerable. Sometimes though, I find myself inspired by someone I don't know yet, and it only feels right to celebrate them. These are portraits from a Portland Design Week event where a bunch of amazing local boss ladies shared their stories about the twists and turns of their journey as creatives and business owners. It was a good reminder that we tend to see where people have arrived without seeing everything it took to get there. We're all in progress, all learning, together in this. Happy Monday friends and may you trust yourself this week. You have good ideas. You're doing this.

02/12/2019

Soon to release their first EP, my friend's soulful funk band Mr. Vale's Math Class invited me to draw portraits of the band members during a recording session in Portland. Here they are! It was a blast to hear them play and learn why music is important to them. I sincerely hope you get to hear the album when it's finished!

01/30/2019

I drew this couple at the Expensify holiday party and the guy kept asking if I was going to make him look like Jim Carrey. I didn't need to try because his hair and outfit were basically straight out of Ace Ventura Pet Detective.

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Portland, OR

Website

http://bykarlee.com/

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