The process of creating your painting begins with your reference. The end result of your painting will be directly influenced by the quality of your photo. In this case the reference photo was of high quality as it was from a photo taken by a professional photo. The lighting and close up of the face allowed for an above average result. Each painting is unique and the process differs a little based on the medium used.
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The first step in the process to translate the reference into an actual painting is to transfer the reference to the canvas. Once transferred, minor adjustments will be made to match proportions as closely as possible.
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The next step is to create the color palette in the medium selected and begin the actual painting process. this is called the underpainting. the purpose is to determine where the lights and darks will be located for the overpainting
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it's now time to begin the over painting. attention to color and shadows are considered. At this point in the process the main goal is to place the lights and darks in the right location and to adjust the colors as required using the underpainting as a reference
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The next step in the process was to refine the color, contrast, proportions and lay in the background prior to finishing the most forward components namely the hair and sweater in this case.
After laying in the final components of the painting, I take a step back at the overall painting making minor adjustments, in this case, by pushing the contrast of some of the shadows using a technique called glazing, refining the eyes and shadows around them and calling the painting completed. This painting was done on 11x14 stretched canvas in oil paint. the total time from start to finish was about 18 hours.
