Spanish Beauty - A Work in Progress

This is a painting I started on the second day of the Brian Smith workshop (see posting on 10 April 11).

We did a portrait using the "Dead" palette or the "Traditional Skin" palette. The colours we used were Titanium white buff, cadmium yellow light, yellow ochre, alizarin crimson (or cadmium red) and Payne's grey.

The background of the canvas was coated with a wash of neutral grey. Once the acrylic paint dried we sketched an outline portrait of the model using charcoal or conte.

The excess charcoal was wiped off the canvas with a cloth to prevent the media from contaminating the acrylic paint being put down and greying it.

Using mixtures of Titanium white buff, cadmium yellow light, yellow ochre and alizarin crimson the under painting of the face and neck were painted.

The highlights were painted using more Titanium white buff and the shadows were darkened by adding a touch of Payne's grey to the flesh tone mixture.

The under painting on this portrait has been completed.

I will post this painting at a later date when I have completed the next stage and put the under painting in on the hair.