Bert, Orange Shirt, oil, 10 x 8
The truth is B does not want to just sit for me, so I let him work on the laptop while I’m painting and ask him to look at me when I’m doing his eyes. Not optimal, but that is how I did yesterday’s portrait. So for this one I just let him look down. I had to start this one over a couple of times. I tease him about how he squeezes all of those features into his face, because he is surprisingly difficult to capture–he has a pretty long nose, and large lips and by the time I get to them I either have to enlarge the head…or start over! (He makes up for it with great coloring!)
Carol, before I read the description I thought he was just in a contemplative mood – which, I must say, you’ve captured brilliantly without an excessive amount of brushwork. Reading your description changes everything but what a good way of overcoming the problem and it benefits each of you.
Yeah, I kind of wonder if it’s good to be so “transparent” if it’s going to ruin the mood for people….