6"x4" oil on raymar panel. Okay, faced with the choice of hitting myself in the head with a brick or painting a (really) small portrait, I chose to paint the portrait. While painting I started to think that maybe I chose unwisely. This vexing little guy was a big challenge, especially considering that I painted it with a #4 brush that is big enough to paint half the face in one pull. It's good for an artist to be thrown off balance or out of a comfort zone, at least every now and then. At one point, the left side and the sweater became over rendered, at least that was my opinion, so and I loosened them up a bit. What's important – his face or the stitching on the shoulder of his sweater? I chose his face.
Posted October 7, 2009
private collection avoca, australia
