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A New Portrait (Part 4)

This is where it gets tedious, the point at which I want to quit and take up quilting. (Quilting isn't any easier, but it would be a distraction from painting.) The likeness is looking less like Frances than it did at the end of Part 3. I have to dig around to find my Glover genetic code and wave it around like a war baton, psychologically speaking. There will be no quitting now.

In an earlier post I stated it's a good idea to measure to make sure your proportions aren't out of wack. The arm still didn't look right and after a good deal of comparing measurements from the photo to the canvas I think I found the culprit. The bend of the elbow is lower than her waistline and it's throwing everything off.
To raise the bend of the elbow, the old shadow has to be covered.

Correcting a painting gets ugly before it gets better. You have to cover your mistake and start that area over. If there are paint ridges upsetting you, sand them. Do some correcting and then leave it alone. Come back to it, improve it, then leave it alone. Let the paint dry, otherwise you'll just make a muddy mess of it. Objectivity is really hard to maintain so I try to spend as much time looking at the painting at different distances as I do actively painting.
More layers on the arm. Until it's right, forget subtle shading.
Two other items that need immediate correcting are the length of her nose and the height of her forehead. The nose gets altered by bringing the shadow down on the bridge. I bring her hairline down slightly. The nose and mouth are too wide but I'll address that when I'm ready to cope.

I have no idea how long it will take for Frances' likeness to be close enough to satisfy me. I will keep taking photos while I work but will not post again until I'm closer to completion.

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