Sonyasmixedmedia

Good morning everyone,
As promised I will show you my progress of making my new mixed media painting, PENELOPE. I learn't this technique from an artist named Gritty Jane and I absolutely adore her work. Fortunetely, she just so happened to be one of the guest teachers in a course I am doing at the moment called LIFE BOOK 2012.
I feel so greatful to her for teaching us, so I thought I would pass on a bit of art that I create in ode to Jane.

To start with I worked on a A3 sized framed canvas and started by mod poging pretty patterned papers on the canvas to inspire me.

Next job was to mix some Burnt Umber and paint over these papers, to make the back round. I felt like I wanted to do Old Worlde so hence choosing the Burnt Umber. I leave the paint so it is still transparent.

At this stage Im getting a feel for the portrait I want to create on this piece Next I draw her out and start my underpainting of whites and greys.

Several hours have gone by at this point so I stop for a well deserved cup of tea break.

With refreshed eyes, I decide to continue make her skin quite dark and shadowy and mix my skin tones with the acrylic paints. After I finish the portrait, its clear to me the backround is too dark for her skin tones, and I decide to go with a soft green to compliment her patterned paper dress and green eyes. I call her, Penelope