Another "Almost" Portrait

I've really been painting a lot lately - trying to make up the lost time over the winter when I couldn't paint, I guess. Plus, I'm really trying to get back some skill in the various media I like. This time it's pastel and SURPRISE! this time it's a portrait of sorts!



I know this is really overworked and then I sprayed it with fixative trying to get a little more tooth and it went very dark and very grainy looking. I lightened it in my graphics software but that just really shows up all the mistakes! Oh, it's a limited palette of pastel on black ColourFix Suede card.

C&C most welcome from all you veteran portrait painters!

Not too bad actually. I like the light and dark play and the tough look of the cow-dude. Come back to it in a few days and you can wrestle this to the ground. I think it needs a little more warmth, the skin tone is a little too cold. A little Red, maybe Sienna, orange etc will do his some good… .

I love it, that you are painting frequently now. I love your vast varying subject matters… keeps me smiling…

Thanks, Faisal. You like the things that drew me to paint this.

I wanted to paint it with a limited palette - actually I just wanted to use Sanquine (that rusty red color) and paint it as a sort of old-fashioned sepia drawing but I couldn't control the values on the black. So I added both black and white to the Sanquine and hoped it would work.

Since your comment, I went back and added more red but that didn't help so I tried a yellow orange and although that seems to help, I can't add enough all over to really do any good as I don't have enough tooth left. It was really overworked!

So, I'll probably repaint it again from scratch!

Thanks again for the reply and the good advice.

I think it is great just how you painted it. I can't see any of those mistakes you mentioned but I know on pastels, over working can be difficult to correct. I like the choice of the limited palette using the sanguine red. The subject is just perfect for it.

judy

Thanks so much, Judy. I thought the subject was perfect for a limited palette too but it is very over worked and I'll probably repaint it some day.

In the meantime, I took it into my graphics software and enhanced it and may post it on my FAA page. Would that be considered a pastel painting or mixed media? hmmm have to think about that

Oh! trial and error is what it is all about… and keep on painting… Sure you can call it mixed media…

OK, does anyone have any thoughts on a title for this? I've called it Dark Heart, Black Hearted Hombre, the Dark Cowboy and since Faisal called him a "cow-dude", I thought about Dark Dude! Nothing seems right though so soliciting suggestions!

From The Shadows?

Ooooh, another good one, Alan! One of my b-i-l's suggested Campfire Thoughts which I like but I wanted to emphasize the darkness - maybe I'll combine both suggestions somehow.

Thanks!

I like what Alan Suggested… it is good…