Chapter 3...What a Fun Expression!

Over the last few days I have been  moulding the facial features. Once I have painted the eyes, unless there is an open mouth, I don't really think of individual features on a face. When I am developing them  I am looking more for colour and value differences as the light falls on the 'rolling hills and valleys or precipices' ... yes, I quite literally think of the face as a vertical landscape and gradually build up the light and shade through many many layers of glazing single colours.

I am not really going for an exact copy of my reference. I am rather using and developing further the expression in it. So I've developed the freckles that were in my reference photo even more in my painting as I feel it just adds to the impish nature of the already existing expression. I've also developed the lighting more to create more light and shade on the face and a second reflected light off the white pages of the book.

I still have a little work to do develop the chin a little more as the reflected light is a little too bright and altering the corner of his mouth a touch but its nearly there.