It's been said that the kiss of death for many an artist is to fall in love with their work. What it means, is that one shouldn't be so pleased with a piece that they lose their objectivity about it. Fall in love with the process, but keep a distance when evaluating the actual product. It's worth it to let your work sit for at least a short time before returning with a fresher eye. I went back to my last piece, and although I felt the man's face had a lot of character (particularly the nose), I edited it so it was more in keeping with the rest of the piece.
Then, with this current painting (face #790), I needed a couple hours away before heading back and making some corrections. It started out as a torso study, then I added the head, arms and then the background. After finishing that, I realized a minor problem with a proportion that was related to foreshortening. It was an easy fix and a minor problem, but I needed the break in between to "see it" better. I didn't work it from a model or photo, so it becomes even more critical at times to be unbiased if striving for a certain level of accuracy. This untitled torso/figure study was done on 19" by 25" pale peach Daler-Rowney Murano paper. The texture is heavier than Canson, and it was perfect for the heavy layers in the background. I started with some very dark pastels filling almost the entire background, and then layered until I got the values and look I wanted, scumbling lighter and lighter.
I have a small pile of work that I have procrastinated in the editing, mostly because I've been busy. It will be good once I finally get back to them, with a "fresher eye"!
Until next time, take care! And thanks for visiting!
