Lately I’ve been getting stuck after I paint my face and eyes.
I usually paint the eyes first, adding all of their depth and detail until they’re almost complete.
But sometimes it helps to keep things simple.
The other day when this happened, I was working on this new painting (she’s called ‘Delight In Dreams,’ 11” x 14” on stretched canvas).
I’ve found I return again and again to using fluid acrylics, liquid watercolors and inks to create an organic shape for my character.
But with this new piece, I got so frustrated. I couldn’t find the right shape, so I drew all of these repeated lines.
Soon, they looked like wings and a certain magic happened.
Whenever I play and layer supplies in new ways, my paintings seem to come to life and a whole new world opens up.
There’s a few more smaller portraits I’ve been working on that I’m excited to share with you soon.
This video is one I come back to whenever I need to paint a character with more softness. I hope you enjoy it!
In Enchanted, you’ll learn many different techniques to help you develop your own recognizable style, be loose in your art and build a cohesive body of work.
In every class video I slow down and explain my creative process, so you can overcome the ugly stages, be brave, and achieve soulful eyes and faces that are unique to YOU.
As you’re painting, you might want to try these next steps to stay loose and free in your art:
- Whenever you’re stuck, go back to using your favorite colors.
- Use a pencil or chalk to outline your favorite parts of your painting so you don’t accidentally cover them up.
- If your colors start to get muddy… STOP and let your painting dry.
- Work on a few paintings at once. That way you’re not so attached to a single piece and can be loose.
Happy Painting!
xo Juliette Crane