Patience throughout the Process

We all know how we want our finished piece of artwork to look like. The frustration you feel when the proportions in your work is a bit off or when the tones and values are not on point. As artist we need to have patience throughout the process and give the piece time to develop.

Sketch are guidelines where paint should be applied. It records the idea of what is going to be the final product.

When starting a portrait you want to attack the facial features first (eyes, nose, lips) because these are the components of the face that help create likeness. All this can be determined by personally preference.

Painting the features first helps you observe the distance from the eye to the nose, to the cheek lips then the chin. It makes it easier to just fill in the unpainted space.

Layering process is a lengthy but satisfying process. The process of layering while painting makes it easier to add surface texture, subtle color shifts and a tangible depth. You can add as much layers until you are satisfied with the outcome.

Before I get committed to the piece that I am doing I like to fill out the entire canvas with colour. It helps me vision how the finished painting would be.

Getting those tones and values right is essential before narrowing down to fine details. Painting the skin before painting the hair, tattoos and scarifications on the skin makes your painting less confusing.

Final touch.