Inspiration:

I adore this photo, though I am scared to try painting it. I’m afraid I won’t do it justice. Also, I think the areas of interest (like the baby’s face) may be in the areas that are hardest for me to reach. Still, I’ll try.

What do I love about it?

• The overall soft glow
• the way the light and shadow play on their faces
• the light in their eyes
• the fluff of their hair

strategy: leave white: two places in the background, catch lights in the eyes, some of the lines around mom’s face.

Palette: yellow, turkey yellow, and olive green for the background. Tan and brown for the flesh tones, orange for hair.

mix a very light tan for the highlights in the faces and start there to layout the composition. If energy is good, start with the bases. If it’s an off day, start with the background. Note: I need to paint background before finishing the edges of the orangutans.

Creation – session log:

• very unsatisfying session. I could not rough in the layout. Turned the paper upside down and back again. I’m close, but I think I made marks where the white of the eyes should be. I’ll try again in a few days.
• Today went much better. I think I have the layout 90% there. I got tired and decided to leave the baby’s head for next time.
• I started work on mom’s face, using tan and red-brown. Started adding some hair in orange and red-brown. I am clunkier than I wish it were. I am trying to move forward without judgment.
• A little more on mom’s face. I didn’t keep up with these notes.
• I worked on the baby’s face today. Same problem with note taking.
• Finished up on baby and I am liking the look of them (pesky pronouns). I painted mom’s shoulder and back. She looks a little disorganized, so I want to go back in. (My husband says “of course she’s disorganized. She’s a mom with a baby.”) I am aware of avoiding painting the eyes and lips. It feels like the success of the painting rides on their expressions.
• I painted the eyes and worked more on the faces. The baby is a success. I lost the catch lights in mom’s eyes and I think they are the wrong shape. My PCA Amber piped up to tell me it’s not as bad as I think. She has She has ideas for what else needs to be done to finish the painting.
• Last session. I added white acrylic to mom’s eyes (more clumsily than I would hope) and repainted areas of the baby’s mouth, and the mom’s face and shoulder. Amber is impressed; I am okay with it.

Insights:

• None of what I love about the photo is evident in the painting, which disappoints me.
• What’s in my head is a photorealistic watercolor. That’s way beyond my skill level and, when I think about it, not what I’m aiming for. When I look at a photo, I need to think about where I’m aiming, taking into account the qualities of watercolor which tends, at its best, to let go of detail and revel in suggestion.
• Using acrylic is better than losing catch lights completely.
• Mammalian mothers love.