portrait Marathon update: Phoenix progress - The Scary Phase

Before I get on with it, I just wanted to let you know that the finished portraits have their own gallery page on my website.

Okey dokey.  When we last met, Phoenix was in a lovely, watery blue period.  The scary part is then doing something that might wreck it, or at least send it into the Ugly Phase, which is so nerve-wracking.  So, I put it off by doing more blues for awhile, deepening the shadows, and darkening areas of the background.

But color would not be put off forever by all this blueing around.

Girding my loins, and dabbing tentatively into some reds and browns ("Those aren't artist color names," I was scolded recently), I began washing in the warm tones in the ears and eyes.

Gaining a little confidence, I began brushing in warmer tones in his body, and in select places on his head.

Okay, those don't look too different, do they?  I'm such a chicken at this phase!  

But, onward!  I kept working, adding in more browns, deeper shadows, more detail.  I realized it was time to clean my pallet (there!  that's good for a few minutes to start breathing again!), and get some more colors going.  Specifically, a cool red, and some pale yellows.  I had to wait for my paint to dry before moving on, so I thought I'd try to take a photo, and get you an update.  Sorry about the glare on the wet paint, but you can pretty much see what's going on anyway.

It's getting close!

Okay, it's probably dry now, so back to work!