Easing Back In

After such a long break, it's hard to figure out where to pick up again. I thought it would be a good idea to start with this piece, since I could apply the things I learned about portrait painting to an area I've been having a lot of trouble with; the face of the waitress. So I started with the darkest darks and am working my way up the value chain— but I'm not liking the grey cast to the skin tones as they exist now so will go back in and warm them up later.

Tuesday, © 2019, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

It's been a more productive morning than it seems. I've already looked through the hundred and fifty or so photos I took on the trip and cropped and resized a little restaurant scene I want to try next. And I've started stretching a small (8" x 9") canvas for it. Have also examined the work of Rene Magritte from a book I picked up at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, from an exhibition they had there several years ago in hopes that I'll be inspired to try something a little surreal.