Portrait painting

Picking up paints again after a very long hiatus. I can’t say it feels like returning to an old friend. Painting always seems like a fencing duel to me – one in which you never quite know the rules. This study is just a progression from doing a lot of pencil portraits. I’m just trying to get better at drawing faces.

Painting like this is completely different to drawing. It feels alien, but my new found portrait/face study knowledge helped me get a result I’m reasonably happy with.

I think about the above a lot when painting. I was never taught to paint, but surrounded by many people who learned it academically. This always makes me feel like an outsider, or that I’m doing it wrong.

All I know is it’s just a journey and you have to ignore the doubt. Just listen to your own inner voice and follow that.