Yesterday morning I masked and airbrushed the background using a mix of yellow, orange and burnt sienna acrylics…

Once dry, I re-masked to cover all but the sari, which I then airbrushed with a mix of crimson red, vermilion, and white. Then I removed all masking and began painting. I added fold details to the sari with gray and red gouache. I painted the trim with a variety of ochre and yellow gouaches, followed by yellow acrylic for the design. Next, I painted the face and hair with gouache, followed by the rough in of the head piece. I then began painting the lotus flowers, first the small ones in the hands, then the big one below.
All of this went quite smoothly, but then I started to use some white acrylic for highlights in the eyes and to paint in the earrings, and trouble began. I needed it opaque, so I had to keep it somewhat thick, and consequently it was difficult to control. This strikes me strange, since I’ve been painting longer than I have been working with oil pastels, so I would think something so simple would be second nature to me. Maybe the brushes need replacing, or my mind is losing the techniques I once knew…I don’t know. In any case, it proved frustrating, so I gave up a bit early last night (thus why the blog is today, not then). Luckily nothing was harmed, so when I came back to it today, I could continue without trouble. I added a bit more to the big lotus, and then applied the textured gesso to the skin areas, making it ready for the next step – pencils and pastels…