Stylization, And An Attempt At Impressionism

I forgot that I'd worked on this one last night; all of the painting was done on the left side of the wicker? chair. I've been frustrated by the faces of the girls, which look very stylized to me, and not at all real; it's been holding me back for a while. I thought if I worked on the chair instead I might get back, somehow, into the swing of things.

The Chair, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Then this afternoon during a break I watched a travelog on TV, and it featured the work of Peter Paul Rubens and others. The faces were indisputably stylized— you could pick out a Rubens from a warehouse full of paintings by the faces alone. I still admire the artists who can get a "real" likeness, though, and will continue to try to make these girls look like individuals. I just won't feel as bad if they don't measure up in the end.

Meanwhile: I have at least one friend who considers herself to be an impressionist, and I have to admit that the lure of those freely handled brushstrokes has gotten to me. But I have much to learn. What size brush to use? Brush or palette knife? Wet into wet always, or let things dry a bit and add more layers? How to tone down the color so it's more believable, and not looking like the work of a 3rd grader with a new box of crayons?

Here is a first attempt. I will get back to it when it dries. I've been toning down the blue with some Asphaltum, something I learned from an artist in Falmouth a few years ago.

Morning Light, © 2018, work in progress (click on image for larger view)