Blog

Day 20

Paper: 300 lb cold press, Arches

Paints: Raw Sienna, Quinacradone Red, Ultramarine Blue. Cadmium Yellow, Cerulean Blue, Opera

Took a break from the skies to paint my other favorite subject matter, portrait.  This is from a photograph of my daughter taken several years ago on a sunny fall day.  I wanted to see if I could get the luminous shadow tones of her skin and get the feeling of glowing light.  It started well.  I am learning how to make large puddles for my washes ahead of time so I do not have to mix anything during the critical drying time.  I had painted the background a couple of days ago using  using cad yellow and cerulean blue.  I let them blend and mix on the paper to give the feeling of sunshine.  Then I mixed large puddles of quinacridone red and raw sienna for the skin tones in the light.  I went lightly over any area that was in the light but reserved the white of the paper on the upper plane of the nose, the forehead and the triangle of light on the cheek.  Working quickly I dipped into my other puddle of quiacridone red and ultramarine blue to lay in the shadow tones.  While that was drying I attempted to work the edges where light meets shadow and dropped a bolder warm mix there to enhance the feeling of light.  I struggle with timing in watercolor and that affects the soft edges.  I wanted a softer blend of color on the cheek shadow as it move towards the light, but the initial wash was too dry already and I got a harder line than I wanted.  I was able to drop opera into the reflected light under the chin and get the effect I wanted.  I may have to work smaller areas than I am used to then move to the next area to really get the edge control I want.  I darkened the background wash with ultramarine blue and raw sienna to make her face pop more.  Little touches of cadmium yellow along the edge of the nose and forehead enhanced the illusion of sunlight.

What I learned:

Maybe I will be better off thinking broadly but working smaller areas to get the edge control I want.  When I work in oil and pastel I tend to paint in all the light and shadow in big tones and then make the color changes within the values.  I am not as concerned about getting the edges I want immediately so I am not used to attacking edges first.  I am rethinking my approach and have another portrait sketched in a ready to paint.

I am giving myself credit for logging in time and experience with this new medium and should not expect the same results that I get from oil and pastel.