Go See Saul

 

I teach part time at a local two year college here in Sacramento, and yesterday (top photo) I posted my painting start of him (second photo). Today, you see my finished watercolor (third photo at bottom). In yesterday's post, I wrote that I was absolutely, positively not going to paint anything else in his semi-unfinished left eye. I did plan, however, to render his mouth more fully. Upon doing that today, I saw that Saul's left eye needed just a little more of a tonal wash to balance with his mouth detailing. I am  very happy with the result.

But what about that top photo you ask. That was watercolored about a month ago, and I feel it is not up to my standard of watercolor portraiture. I over painted it. Not enough value contrast No pop!  Here is a good case study of doing more than one painting of the same subject. It's like rehearsing a stage play. You deliver your lines with much more conviction and nuance after a number of rehearsals.