Mixed media on huntonitt panel
Acrylics, collage and acrylic inks
50x58cm (0.3cm deep)
Same background collage series as portrait 5. It was intended as a series, but the skin hues are totally different, so they work better as individual pieces. Left the hair background all to itself this time, it’s more subtle, only with two shades and subtle texture, and is working more on the angular elements rather than complicated texture. Repeating the color in her dress, but with different angular pattern, still, they are connected. Background gets some pattern this time, which i liked, subtle but contrasting, and somehow i fell this ties the whole painting together, the three different blocks of background texture, all connected through her smooth face and neck.
Very hard to paint the skin this time, the paint would not sit on the canvas, so i must have primed it badly. So, i am not quite happy with her face, i wanted it a bit rougher, but I had to “airbrush” the tones, that is, use a very dry brush and feather inn the shading.
I really need to get a tripod for my camera, i am not happy with the photograph, its not clear enough, and for the first time, i think the painting looks nicer than the photo of it.
What did I learn?
- Proper priming! Specially when the background is smooth, and not canvas. The paint needs something to stick.
- Leaving more texture, in blocks, gives another dynamic to the piece
- Even if i am not pleased with the skin, keep going, use it as a practice piece, I learn something every time.
- I prefer painitng faces with more dramatic shading, like portrait 5. It’s just more exciting.