In November I was delighted to be commissioned to paint my friends’ beautiful daughter for their Christmas present. This was one of two Christmas commissions I had last year so I’ve been pretty busy!
The reference photo was great with directional lighting and lots of interesting colours in the background. I tried to create a focal point on her eyes and mouth, making the paint strokes larger and less detailed as I got further from this area.
https://instagram.com/p/Bec002kgVqR/
Using very thin paint I slowly built up in layers, blending quite a bit more than usual, especially around the cheeks and mouth. I didn’t add thicker paint until near the end and used it sparingly. This helps create variation in texture and edge throughout the painting.
This painting clarified the need for a really great reference photo for a commission like this. Working from low resolution or poorly lit photos is never a good starting point.
If you would like to commission me to create a painting of someone you know or a loved one, give me a shout!
