next step on muddy waters portrait

"muddy waters"

the first thing that i did this morning was lift out some areas that were really dark on the underside of the nose and added a bit of definition to the top with some overwashes. the same paint colors were used for the mouth and chin. alizarin crimson permanent was added to the mix for the cheeks and lips. the oval shadow under the lower lip was cerulean blue. after adding some washes for the clothes and ultramarine shadows around the neck his pencil-thin moustache was painted in with pretty much pure ivory black and softened a bit with a damp brush.

the first thing i am going to say bout this painting is that after using the lanaquarelle paper twice now that i don't really care for it. it is strangely resistant to the paint which seems to sit on the top more than i would like and the surface is, oddly enough, very soft. i think i will go through this block using it for sketches and not get anymore. the second thing i will mention is that i like this portrait better than the last although i have to admit that it is not a very good likeness. this latter would be corrected by spending a bit more time on the drawing. i definitely am getting closer to the fresh feeling that i am looking for and it is much less overworked than the last of the calypso drummer.