Day 2: focusing on the face.
It has been a busy day at work and time to go home and play in the studio. I really wanted to work on the face as I had an idea. Evening sessions are always shorter sessions but it is amazing how much you can achieve in these small snippets of time.
- I went to the kitchen and got a piece of magic sponge and headed out to the studio. The magic sponge is a simple way to rub back the gesso on the cheek to let some of the red material pattern to show through in the cheek area.
- I then added some golden nickel azo gold in the face and neck area using a scrubbing motion. I leave some areas with gesso showing through where the highlights would naturally fall
- I add more gesso to the face to define some of the areas such as the bridge of the nose and under the eyes.
- I use paynes gray to refine the shapes of the hair and the eye position. The eyes were a little close and needed realigning. This is the time to clarify the positions of the facial features.
- I get out the golden napthol red and paint in the lips. I remove excess paint from my brush and scumble a thin layer of this bright red paint on the cheek.
- Now I come back again with gesso over the cheek area so I get a lighter pink shade. I again refine highlights and add more white to the eyes.
- I add green leaves into the hair and around the neckline.
As a final step for tonight, I add paynes gray detail to the ponytail as I go back and reshape detail. I then add some more dabs of golden napthol red into areas of flower patterns in the hair.
This was a lot of fun and she is really starting to come together but still a fair way to go. Another process update to come as the plan is to follow this piece through to completion this week. Wish me luck and not too many distractions.
The muse face evolving..