Defining the features.......

I've been asked by friends to share more of how I work so here are some progress photos for you......

I may have lost the likeness on this a little, but am still going to finish it as it's all good practice as they say...and it's surprising how much you learn when you relax with no pressure, and often find it all comes together at the end.....

Have started painting around the eyes. For me this is the most important part of any portrait, they are the soul of the painting as well as the person. If they are wrong then I don't go on with it.

For the eyes i've also used  Burnt Umber & Venetian Red. ( Be very careful with Venetian red, it will kill your painting if you use to much of it.) 

If you look at the right eye I have placed some BU with a rigger brush.
You need to make this juicy enough so it doesn't dry instantly.

Keeping with the rigger and painting only with clean water I paint the rest of the detail in. As i'm doing this I touch the pigment already on the paper and let it flow in where ever it wants too. Do not try and control it too much. 

I carried on with a larger brush doing similar around the nose and mouth...

The area right of the mouth and nose has 3 colours in it. Ven.Red, B.Um, Per.Rose...

I pick these up as I go, no mixing on the palette or on the paper, they are placed almost next to each other and mix where and when they want too, you just have to nudge them occasionally....

.In other words, I change colour as I see or feel it. I often do this by just wiping my brush quickly across the colour in my pallet, which I have already sprayed with water before hand. Picking up different colours as I go.

 I've also added a touch more Perm Rose to her cheeks....I've scanned these steps so it shows a bit harsher than it is, it's much softer IRL.

next I went on to put some of the hair in so I can see where i'm going value wise...I don't tend to work in a technical way, more one of feelings and emotion, moving around the painting and adding colour to the next area that grabs my attention