My characters begin with the eyes, but they’re always the hardest thing to paint.
Oftentimes my character looks nothing like it did when I started. It takes lots of beautiful mistakes and so many ugly stages before I can even begin to figure out the best posture, profile and facial gestures.
Yet whenever I start a painting, my mind tells me I should get it right on the first try (but that never, ever happens).
I work on many paintings at once, so when I’m stuck, I take a step away or go back to my background painting process to loosen up and paint more freely again.
After a few background layers (and many attempts at a character’s eyes and face), something finally starts to come out of the paint.
This new painting is inspired by a gentle heart and called ‘Peace Blooms Underneath’ 12” x 12” on stretched canvas (original available) ❤️
I’m finishing up a few more female portraits and can’t wait to share them with you!
If you’ve been wanting to paint together, but feel like you don’t have a lot of time, I’ve put together my self-paced, Happy Painting mini course, which has five instant-access projects. This online workshop is perfect for beginners or anyone looking to feel more connected and creative.
In this video preview you’ll see how I create a portrait using just a few supplies in my sketchbook. This is a project you can do in just a few minutes, so you can still paint, even if you don’t have a lot of space or time.
Click here for more details about Happy Painting.
“You’ve really inspired me in the VERY FUN CLASS of Happy Painting. I’ve gone from cut and paste to fearless, throwing paint on paper and actually painting and trusting in the process. I’ve been actually creating little beings.” -Nancy Rose
Happy Painting!
xo Juliette Crane