Faces and chroma

Enjoyed getting onto the kids' faces today and getting the colour/chroma in the right (ie less red!) zone.

Been a while (again)

Off on a side-track the last couple of months, but been getting back into a camel (lovely young Milkshake from Uluru Camel Tours) and a couple of dancers pix:

This is quite a bit one, so just getting the coverage of the first pass took a bit of a while:  I'd forgotten how powerful cadmium red is.  It was one of the reasons I wanted to paint this, but in this session it rather took over in my dodgy colour mixing for the skin tones; I can fix that on later layers, though. It's making me laugh a bit how Zen the kids are looking (intimations of things to come when we do mindfulness in my classes next year ???)

 This is quite a small one (on board rather than the usual canvas) so it's a challenge not to get too overly wrapped up in the details of the skirt patterns, lovely though they are.

 Enjoying the different kind of fluffy coat and multi-directional hair growth on Milkshake, and as always, the eyes.  Decided to keep the background white to emphasise the slightly quirky stance.

And done!

Very happy with both the process (loved painting it) and the resolved work (love looking at it without thinking what else can I do!)

made it, almost

It helps that it's a fairly small one . . . 

fast and furious for a 10 day deadline

Nothing like a bit of a challenge.  Was going to miss the Senior Territorian Portrait this year but thought, why not see if a small, quick and quirky (another eyes closed one, but this time face towards the sun) one will get done in time for the 15th.  So Lesley very kindly agreed to some photos a few days ago, much as she hates being photographed (thanks m'dear) and here's the first few bits and pieces

pretty much done

been a while