You know I love pushing myself from time to time, sometimes stepping so far out of my comfort zone that it’s frightening. So, yes, this Woman With Flowers might be a bit scary, but I’m actually quite fond of her. She represents my first attempt at painting a person in oils, and I’m happy that I at least got something on the canvas that resembles a human being.
I made no real attempt to paint her hands and that was fine with me. Mostly I wanted to focus on shapes and colors, especially in her face and hair.
I love landscape painting, but I also enjoy figure drawing, and I do want to paint human figures. It’s going to mean learning a lot of new skills, and I’m excited for the challenge.
I’m happy with this first attempt. It’s taken me two years to get brave enough to try this first people oil painting. I wonder how long it will be before I get up the gumption to try another.
Artistcoveries 
No need to hesitate…
I like the composition of colours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLike
Agreed
LikeLiked by 2 people
A start is a beginning of learning new things. This coming new year in Jan. 2019, I plan to learn portrait painting from Nolan Clark on paintbasket.com I learned how to draw from him, too. I never drew anything or did any art in my life until a few years ago. Check out his forum and FB.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! I will definitely check it out, and I will look forward to seeing your portrait paintings.
LikeLike
She’s quite lovely! I wonder if your art groups coordinate life painting or drawing with models.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We did one life drawing session with a live model, and I was very pleased with the results. I focused mostly on the model’s face in one drawing. I have it in my sketch book. I’ll have to dig it out and post it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice Judith! It makes me think about when I was working on improving my people painting skills a couple of years ago – I actually ended up buying an online video course from https://willkempartschool.com/ (it was meant for acrylics, but you could totally do it in oils if you wanted) and found it very helpful (I am self taught and have hardly ever taken any classes, but, this one really hit the spot with me!) Will Kemp is an awesome teacher and it’s fun to own a video course you can play over and over – He has a lot of free stuff on his website, too and is VERY helpful and lovely to talk to by email! OH, now you’re making me want to get back to doing people!!!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Hilda. I love doing charcoal portraits and pastel portraits — and I love figure drawing. It’s just so different to do it with oil paint. I really want to do more, and I will check out the course you mentioned.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I found it really helpful with simplifying mixing for skin tones, which was a definite game changer, for me! Best wishes with this latest stage of your art journey, Judith! Hope you blog (lots) about it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I learned a little rhyme when I was doing watercolor portraits. “Red, yellow, brown, and white, that’s how we get our skin tones right.” It’s been helpful.
LikeLike
I like it! (and that’s pretty close to the palette of Anders Zorn, which is what I use now – Cad Red, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black and Titanium White) 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s very close. I’m really excited about doing portraits in oil. I’m fascinated by faces, to the point where I’ve developed a bad habit of staring at people LOL. I’ll have to try working with the palette you’ve mentioned, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I highly recommend finding a willing family member to sit for you…you can light them however you like and take photos for later….and they won’t mind being stared at!! I hear you about the staring at people out in public, I do it all the time, too! It’s best to try to do it out of the corners of your eyes….or, here’s a good one – sit in your car and do it!! Interestingly, I have found that sitting in a car makes you almost invisible to other people!! Hope you get to stare at a lot of people over the holidays, Judith!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL… yes, being invisible is really good. I attended a pastel portrait workshop earlier this year and really enjoyed it, so I definitely want to do more of those. I think that will be good practice, too, for doing portraits in oil.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love seeing your painting journey. Thank you for sharing it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m delighted to have you following along as I make my way through the world of learning art.
LikeLike
This color palette is quite beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I like the warmth I feel in the colors.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The warmth of the colours is beautiful and it feels that there is a ‘warmth’ in your treatment of the portrait too – lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Ann.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To try is everything and after that comes progress. To show your first attempt is a massive step. Looks like fun to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was fun. I didn’t have any expectations for the first attempt. I could just let it be whatever it was — and when I stepped back and could recognize it as human… LOL. I felt I’d definitely succeeded.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a handsome piece Judith, just glowing with feeling and colour. You should be proud!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, for my first “people painting” in oil, it turned out better than I’d hoped. I like doing portraits, but have only tried graphite, charcoal, pastel, and watercolor. Now I want to do more. I especially like the warmth I felt with the colors in my “Woman with Flowers”.
LikeLike
This is really lovely. I especially like the vivid, unexpected salmon color you chose for the background — it reminds me of a really squinting-bright day, especially with the hard shadows. I’m learning to paint in oils as well, so it’s fun to see someone else’s journey (no people for me yet, though!). Nice work!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. It was a fun painting to do. I knew I couldn’t really paint a portrait, so I just had fun, did what I could, and enjoyed the process — especially the colors. It was a refreshing change from “trying hard” to do a good painting. I had no expectations for it, so the results didn’t matter. 🙂 I wish I could paint with that attitude more often.
LikeLike