Glaze in the Future

I have done a little more work on the self portrait this week. (Like the addition of eyes! Though I'll be it lop sided eyes). I spent a little time deepening the shadows on the neck and face. My next step I think will be to work on the eyes and shape of the nose a little more. Alter the general shape of the face and extend the hair and perhaps take it back a few shades into a lighter colour, because I think I might be working with Glazes from now on.
I want to be able to add a little bit more natural tone to the skin. I'm definitely going to keep things in the very cool tones though. I like the appearance of that. I might distort where the hair meets the background so that it melds together and step the blue back into a warmer tone so that the face really stands out with all the cool tones.


I am enjoying the process of this painting. I like looking at it and contemplating my next step. On the first round I used a lot of oil with my paints (because it's so nice to paint with a very oily paint, [I use the word sexy to describe it!]) but I was disappointed to find out (or to remember) how long it takes to dry! I was eager to work on it again but had to wait a good number of days before the surface was paintable again. This round I used less oil and more Taltine and the drying time has been much more manageable (I no longer get the ants in my pants dance when I'm walking past it chanting "dry dry dry God dammit!")

I've got some ideas for some other paintings, and might start juggling a few of them. I'm also slowly working on a painting for my sister. I'll post some photos when it's something other than just white! But I really want the surface of this painting to be silky smooth. So I'm taking a lot of time in the sanding and gessoing stage. That's also giving me enough time to contemplate what this paintings actually going to look like, because as its stands I only have a vague idea, and it's mostly around the colour and feel of it. And I like to work with a clear conception of the work in my head. When I work without one, I usually end up hating what I've created and scraping it. Like the silly Ghost hair. Though it still hangs on my wall I'm not a fan of it. Ok I kind of like it, but some of the choices I made were awful! But I suppose that's the whole idea, not to become to attached so that the spur of the moment choices that do work can come out.

On another completely different note, but I suppose some what related, is music. Paul has given me a shit load of great new music, and while painting I have been listening to The Avett Brothers. Who I have quickly come to adore. They have great lyrics and vocal abilities that makes them a joy to sing along with. I've also been listening to Giant Hand who Paul also directed my attention to... Which lead me to this band called Handsome Furs. So I'm having a New Music smorgasborg.