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Hettie


On with practising portraiture 

I've become increasingly interested in painting portraits and figures, especially after attending a workshop with Rogier Willems. To practice what I've learned, I needed models. I was delighted when a friend agreed to sit for me, so on a chilly October morning, we arranged a short live session. It's a great way to learn, and I’m grateful to Hettie for her time, patience, and the feedback she provided later in the process.

When working with a live model, making quick decisions is essential, as no one can sit for you endlessly. I had to consider the setting, pose, lighting, and composition all at once. This is something I need to practice more. Now that this portrait study is finished, I realise I would probably choose a different composition. Initially, I did not plan to paint the hands, but I eventually decided to include one hand, and then changed my mind to include both. In the end, I didn't have a proper reference photograph for that. After learning (a week later) Hettie's story about her ring, I certainly would make a compositional change. 

Speaking of photographs, it's generally impossible to finish a painting during a two-hour live session, so I took plenty of reference photos to help me complete the portrait later. Overall, I think it took about ten more hours to finish this painting.

In the end, I'm quite pleased with the result, and I’m very happy that Hettie liked it, too.

 

Hettie. Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 cm. View the finished painting in my gallery.

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