Improving

Art is one of those things that you have to work at. And honestly over the years I have been kind of lazy at practising. I stuck to what I knew I could do and never really challenged myself or tried new things. But recently I've been really working at improving. And I think it's paying off. I've also tried my hand at a new medium that suits me better.

Digital art is a whole different ball game from paint and brushes. Its easier to control. You can move stuff around, change the colours easily and most important there is an undo button. Which is a literal god send !
So yes I suppose it is easier in a lot of ways but still presents its own challenges. You still have to learn your medium and its limitations and it still takes time to learn how it works for you.

I think one of my biggest improvements is that I have been getting braver at blocking colours and tones rather than blending and not straying from the same small handful of colours. In reality faces and skin are weird. It's got odd colours and different tones clashing up against each other. It's also wobbly and wavy so smoothing isn't the way to go if you want any kind of realism.

As I've been practising I decided it would be fun to redo an old painting. I choose this one of a sleeping woman among Poppies. In a slight moment of madness I decided to paint myself rather than an imaginary figure. And honestly I'm really pleased with it. I don't often look soft and feminine :) so it was nice that I managed to do that in this.