Precision: Step 7
My next task is to put in the dark region marked by the figure’s trousers, which serves as a reference point for work on the figure and guitar by establishing the darkest darks that will be present in the painting. Even before this area is officially completed, just getting in the general darks helps me to control the contrast I use in the central area of the figure and guitar. In this way, the lower left quadrant is a sort of anchor for the painting.
Hair often presents a slight amount of complexity in our far-to-near approach to painting the elements in the work, because while much of the hair overlaps the face, some of it also ends up being “behind” it, as in the case of the neck or ear, etc. If I paint hair on top of an unpainted skin area, and that hair dries before I can start the flesh underneath it, the result can be an awkward hard line that can detract from the visual harmony of the painting. To prevent this, I mix a simple, general flesh tone and paint in the areas of flesh that make contact with the hair. This allows me to get an even blend, avoid hard lines, and also come right back on top of these unfinished flesh areas when I start on the face properly.
The arms and neck I’m able to get in, but the face will have to wait for another day, which is why this bordering technique is useful. For the exact same reason, I also paint in the part of the black glasses frame that goes under the hair. For good measure, I also quickly block in the face of the guitar in preparation for putting a wood grain pattern on top of it later.
