Trying out solutions

The structure of the light and shadow is almost done, but at this point in my process I like to experiment a little with my painting. For example, should I have the woman’s eyes looking at the viewer? The left picture demonstrates how this would look, while the image on the right reveals a dappled light effect that might make the composition look more vivid.

The finished painting

It turns out that neither option works. My initial design is still the best. During the final stages I usually step away from the painting and do something else. When I come back I’ll have fresh eyes on my painting. Since all my other solutions didn’t work out I finish the painting according to my original idea. And that, in a nutshell, is my painting process.

May 2016