Gift Of A Portrait Continued

The painting below was initially completed, but something didn’t sit right with me—the background felt off, and the hair color wasn’t quite what I had envisioned. To bring it closer to what I wanted, I deepened the background using a mix of burnt sienna, raw umber, and medium yellow, which gave it more warmth and depth. I also darkened the hair and made subtle adjustments to the skin tone. I'm much happier with how it's coming together now. The forehead still needs a bit more blending before I apply the final varnish, but overall, the changes have brought the piece closer to my original vision.

Link of post of original painting

Portrait received 

Gift Of A Portrait

Portrait painting is always a challenge. Capturing someone’s likeness from a single photograph often comes with its own set of hurdles—colors can feel off, and lighting isn’t always ideal. I’ve yet to try painting from life, as my sketching skills are still a work in progress. For now, I rely on printing the reference photo and using tracing paper to emboss the basic outline onto the canvas. It’s a method that helps me place the eyes, nose, and mouth proportionally, giving the portrait a solid foundation.

This particular piece was painted in acrylics on an 11x14 canvas and is a graduation gift for my niece. While I see areas that could use further refinement, I made the decision to stop before I risked overworking it and dulling the vibrancy. Working under a time constraint definitely has its drawbacks, but at least this piece will be delivered—rather than joining the stack of my many “misfit” paintings waiting in the wings.