Doug

Doug, 10x8" oil, Diane Mannion

Portrait on Portrait

Two hour study painted from life at the Venice Art Center Portrait Studio yesterday.  Always good practice and fun painting along with friends.  

Painted on top of an old oil portrait which I didn't like.  Used white oil paint tinted with Indian yellow to paint over the old, horrible portrait leaving the rough texture as it was.  This background treatment was completely dry before I started.  There are patches on bottom right that have been left uncovered.

The original portrait was painted on thick gesso on masonite allowing the gesso brushmarks to show. 

Started with a color block-in method rather than drawing the face first.  Wanted to capture the gesture of the pose as a figurative study rather than a simple face study.  Wished I had had a larger board because I originally wanted to include the hands.  If I had, the head would have been too small for detail.  There is only so much that can be painted in two hours, probably less if breaks are counted!