The Better Half
Oil on Canvas Panel
4x6
Pallette
Titanium White
Yellow Ocher
Indian Red
Burnt Umber
Ivory Black
Another Self Portrait. I call this my better half because I have a scar over my left eye which gives that eye a funny shape. I did this by taping the canvas panel directly to a mirror and blocking in the shape picking out my basic shadow shapes. When I first started this block in, I was having a very hard time predicting the outcome of my color mixes. When I wasn't struggling with color, I was struggling with value. I stopped at the block in point and decided to get out another small canvas panel and do a mixing chart. When I was done, I taped that directly to the mirror next to my painting and voila! I will take pictures of that mixing chart and post it later.
In the joy of smearing paint with a brush, I lost my eye shape. I am afraid this isn't really "my" eye. This is what I would look like if I had someone elses eye. "My" eye is a little more slanted and there are more folds. The nose is pretty close and the lips are about right. My jaw is a little less rounded. I guess this is what I might look like if I had a nip and a tuck. Oil paint is a lot cheaper than a plastic surgeon!
I know I will eventually pick this apart and think about what I can do to improve this. For now, I am pleased with the results. I will go into my next oil painting with much more confidence that I can work with color. I will conquer my fear one 4x6 canvas panel at a time.
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