Hard Fought Portrait

Close ups

Oil on 7x5 hardboard.

This is my contribution to this week's WDE at Wet Canvas. Astrid was the gracious hostess. Thanks for the great reference photos, Astrid.

I believe it was Winston Churchill who said, " Painting a picture is like trying to fight a battle."
I would like to add, "Especially portraits." This one was a battle....I have a feeling the painting won. I am frazzled.
My first mistake was trying to impose deep shadows to the left side of her face (our rt.). The photo reference was more straight on light...like a flash. I wanted to add the shadows to give it a dramatic lighting effect. That's a hard thing to do...just out of your head, with any believability.
After fighting with it for two hrs., I gave up on that idea. So I spent another two hrs. of trying to do the light a little more like the photo.
Stick a fork in it...it's done.

Available ... If interested, contact me at kkayangel2(at)yahoo.com

My Etsy

Luke 4¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,