End of Day One of painting.

End of Day Two painting. Okay, it looks more realistic, but I hate the blue background. Think it deadens the entire painting. Orange isn’t  my favorite color, but it really seems to liven up the background. Day One I was looking straight ahead. Day Two may eyes seem to be glancing off to the left.

But does the painting really look like me? The more I try to make the expression on my painted face look whimsical….the more my face just looks scrunched up between my hands.  I think that’s because I’ve made the shadows on my face too dark. I don’t know if this blog will ever help anyone else with their painting, but it sure is helping me. For some reason I can see things more clearly when I see them in a photograph on the computer screen. When I’m in my studio painting all day I can’t always see what I’m doing. But if I sit in an easy chair and have a snack….and glance at the painting…then I can see the mistakes. Just relax….let your mind flow….and WHAM !!! Suddenly it comes to you.