This painting has been hanging around my studio for a couple years now. I never got around to listing it in my Etsy shop because I never liked it all that much, and knew I was probably going to end up revising it sometime down the road.
Her eyes were way too big and unnatural looking to me. I’m not a fan of big eyed portraits, which I am guilty of making all too often..I know. The past year or so, I’ve been working on correcting that because once something bugs me about my work, I can’t let it go. It’s like trying to unsee or un-know something. You can’t; it’s impossible, no matter how hard you try to forget or wish you could go back in time. The ginormous eyes had to go.
Before and after shots
work in progress
The thing I’ve learned about revising paintings is that you can’t just go in, and fix what’s messed up, and leave. If it’s a tiny area, you can probably get away with it, but if it’s a large area, like in this case, both eyes, I didn’t think it was possible.
Once you lay down fresh paint, you pretty much have to repaint the entire painting because the place you fix will stand out too much with the new paint on top of the old paint.
work in progress
It’s kinda like touching up a spot on the wall. Before you know it you’re painting the entire wall, and then the wall next to it because new paint looks fresher than the old.
Perplexed Mood
daily painting: 365 day art project
Day No 201
Available here
Prints are available here
I hope you enjoy watching me revise this acrylic portrait painting in the video below. I didn’t speed this one up as much as I normally do, so it’s longer than most of my videos. I was shooting for a happy medium between being boring and informative. I hope I hit the sweet spot.
Revising Oil Portrait Painting with Oil Pastels – Don’t Let Anything Stop You
Revising a woman portrait painting – It’s a Man’s World No 2
Deeply Mysterious – acrylic woman portrait painting
This is why it’s a good idea to sit with your work for a day or two