Monday, April 6, 2009

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 5

A drastic turn of events this evening!  I applied the stage 4 color just as I arrived home from work.  After dinner I examined the picture and it felt dry to the touch.  So my impatience kicked in, in a bad way!  I began to re-establish shadows with a bit raw umber, (very dark brown).  As I began to put the paint on the canvas, I noticed it wasn't blending well.  I got out a bigger/softer brush and tried to blend it...no luck!  The previous layer began to come off!  His face looked like it had a disease.  So, I got my big brush out soaked in turpentine and completely removed the work I had done earlier, (before dinner).  I was so upset, I could have punched my fist through the canvas!  Really, I was tempted!  So rather than go back over his face again with the brownish color, I had to go with that pinkish paint from yesterday, (I'm doing the one step up and two steps back technique).  I'm not going to do anything more until this painting is good and dry!  I also re-glazed the background with a bright red, and I scumbled titanium white onto his suit.  This technique is not for the impatient.

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