Portrait StudyThis is a painting I made from a friend's picture that I took a while ago. She was trying on the flower crown my wife wore to our wedding and looked too regal not to immortalize it! She actually really loved it even though I didn't tell her I was doing it until I was finished 
This is another old study from over a year ago, although I pretty much started over when I picked it back up, so I guess in a way it's a new work?
I tried to make some of the brushtrokes look more painterly, but I struggle to let loose and be bolder with my brushwork. Any advice for that?
May 8, 2022
This is another old study from over a year ago, although I pretty much started over when I picked it back up, so I guess in a way it's a new work?
I tried to make some of the brushtrokes look more painterly, but I struggle to let loose and be bolder with my brushwork. Any advice for that?
May 8, 2022Comments
It looks really lovely!! The colours are so warm and gorgeous, and with the pose it definitely has a royal portrait energy about it 
My advice for more loose, painterly brushstrokes is to use a big, textured brush - if you’re working traditionally, one with thick scratchy bristles (and absolutely load it up with paint), and if you’re working digitally, one that inherently has a lot of texture that won’t layer up to a flat colour. And then just like,,,, Don’t let yourself blend. Fill in extra brushstrokes of an in-between colour if it’s looking too harsh but don’t blend them together until smooth, you’re going for a chunky soup of a painting. And don’t let yourself switch to a smaller brush until you’re absolutely desperate to, and even then go for one slightly bigger than you’d like. And related, don’t zoom in too much or stand too close until you really need to. Hope that helps? I realise a lot of my advice is just to restrict your tools lol
My advice for more loose, painterly brushstrokes is to use a big, textured brush - if you’re working traditionally, one with thick scratchy bristles (and absolutely load it up with paint), and if you’re working digitally, one that inherently has a lot of texture that won’t layer up to a flat colour. And then just like,,,, Don’t let yourself blend. Fill in extra brushstrokes of an in-between colour if it’s looking too harsh but don’t blend them together until smooth, you’re going for a chunky soup of a painting. And don’t let yourself switch to a smaller brush until you’re absolutely desperate to, and even then go for one slightly bigger than you’d like. And related, don’t zoom in too much or stand too close until you really need to. Hope that helps? I realise a lot of my advice is just to restrict your tools lol•
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