This is the next step in the painting process. I added in more depth by adding a bit of blush on her cheeks, neck, and forehead. I added a touch of highlights to her lips and shadowed the darker areas. i still need to finish off the background and then I think it will be done.

I have not been working much on this portrait the last few days as my son is sick. Anyway, check back soon to see how the whole painting turns out.

Okay, here is yet another part of the class. I have painted in the hair but no eyebrows yet. I wanted to do the detailing of the eyes and then paint in the eyebrows. I have detailed the face using Caran d'ache watercolor crayons and water soluble pastels. Here is the image which is still a way from finishing.



Here is a close up of the face.



I still have more detail work to do but here is my WIP as it stands now.

I have transferred the image to a piece of canvas board. I used canvas board because they are relatively inexpensive and if I make a mistake it will be no loss. Anyway, I didn't have any wax-free graphite transfer paper so I used a trick I learned in my art class. I keep the images I am going to use in my sketchbook. I pick an image and then photocopy it. After photocopying, I use an 8B or 4B pencil and color over all the lines on the back of the photocopy (you have to use a light box to see the lines). Once the "scribbling" is done, I place the image on the canvas (scribbling side down) where I would like it. With the image face up, I start outlining the image either using a pencil or a round embossing tool. I usually use a 2B pencil. A word of caution, if you lean on the photocopy image, it may transfer the areas where you were leaning to the canvas. Here is the image copied to the canvas with the face, mouth, and eyes painted in. The eyes are pretty much finished but there is still some detail work to be done on the face.

Here are a couple of backgrounds I painted for this class. I was experimenting with colors. Of course, there will be much more to add when the face is done.





The top image was painted using a titanium white (golden paints) mixed with an adirondack reinker (pink sherbert) with acrylic glazing liquid (golden paints) added in. I painted the outer edges with a touch of Paynes Grey (golden paints) mixed with acrylic glazing liquid. I then softened the edges by using a damp paper towel and feathering the colors out. I then used sequin waste to create the texture using Metallic Olive Green (Lumiere). I tamped a paper towel over the wet met olive green, sprayed it with water and then touched other parts of the color around the canvas.

The other canvas was painted using a mix of titanium white, quinacridone nickel azo gold, and acrylic glazing liquid (all golden products). I then smooshed some cobalt blue onto the background and wiped off with damp paper towel. I then painted some of the quin nickel azo gold onto a handmade stamp and stamped around the canvas. After that I used titanium white painted on another stamp and stamped again over the canvas. I added some texture by adding circular images which were rubbed with a damp paper towel. Finally using Payne's grey I added more texture by patting paint through sequin waste onto the canvas.

This is the class I have been taking with Paulette Insall. Here are some of the sketches I have made of eyes, noses, and mouths.



Here is an entire face with hair. My other faces have no hair because I would like to vary the styles as needed.