#21 Nuance

Today's exercise was about creating nuance by using only one color (or shades and tones of one color) to do the portrait. This model was a bit moody looking, so the color was blue. I used cobalt, ultramarine, and some deep blue-green-black color from my palette of Paul Jackson's paints, can't remember the name but I love the color.

This was a useful exercise. It really made me focus on what are mid-tones, what are darks, where the whites should be left. The fact that she had blonde hair was also an interesting challenge, one which I don't think I quite achieved.

And for some reason, although I faithfully copied the tiniest whites in the eyes in their exact locations, in the photo she is looking directly at the viewer, but in my picture she is gazing off somewhere else. I have yet to solve that trick with the eyes, and never know where they are going to be looking.

#30Faces30Days
"Anna" on Sktchy
Pencil, watercolor, in Bee sketchbook