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.