Another Wrapped Figure

It feels really good to be moving on to a new project. I can take advantage of the photographs I took a couple of weeks ago of Samanda and hope to just enjoy painting for its own sake. I have been doing "wrapped" figures off and on for a few years and keep trying to get some sort of cohesive series out of the idea. This is a new start and perhaps will lead to something...what?

If I knew I guess I'd do it!

For now I will just paint and post the progress. I try too hard sometimes and that never really gets me anywhere. I am letting it all go (for now?). As someone once said to me "no one will care how nicely you decorated your bathroom...just paint, woman! Paint!"

For any who are interested, this canvas is 24"x36" so the figure is approximately life size, my preferred size for portraits and figures. I usually start with toning the canvas an umber or sienna or sometimes Venetian Red or even a brighter red. I have also sometimes toned canvases for portraits in Viridian, as 14th and 15th century artists often did. Painting warm skin tones over cool green is surprisingly lifelike. I will stick to this umber for Samanda right now. I also want to play with the tonal and chromatic changes occurring in the fabric and backdrop...there is a nice complement of blue and yellow going on, accented and bridged by the lavendar of the central piece of fabric. Some fun!