Step-by-step approach

I thought rather than writing too much this week, I would take a photo after each of the two breaks and at the end of my session so that you could see the progress for yourselves. This portrait will be developed across the next four Wednesday nights at my portrait painting course at Heatherley's School of Fine Art (in a blatant plug, I should say the course has been excellent and bookings are being taken for summer term!).

- Steve Pill, Editor

First break To begin with, I sketched out the proportions very loosely and began to develop the different colours of the skin on the forehead.

Second break With the skin colour in, I added areas of hair and the blue drape behind so I had something to compare the tones against.

End of session I started to work down the face, using larger amounts of blue in the mix for the shadow areas under the chin. I wasn't quite happy with these so will try to revise them in the second session next week.