Painting a Woman in a Blue Dress

Painting a woman in a blue dress.

I was looking through online photos, and came across this one, which I thought was cute.

I like the top of this summertime dress.

The off-the-shoulder style, and ruffles really make the dress stand out.

These features are so girly and feminine.

This dress is also the perfect length, and great for an outdoor event, or lunch with friends.

Painting a Woman in a Blue Dress - The Process (Video Below)

It is a little more difficult to paint when I am filming because I am painting at an angle that I would not normally be painting from.

I used watercolor on most of the image.

There are a few exceptions.

The eyes, and eye shadow were colored with colored pencil, and the lips and hair were painted with acrylic.

I sketched the facial features and hands last because these are the most challenging parts to sketch.

I usually study these parts of the body carefully in order to get the dimensions, shapes, and lines correct.

When creating the hair, I had a lot of fun.

I purposely made it wispy, and cascading over the shoulders in different directions.

When choosing a color to paint the dress, I selected blue.

Blue is not my favorite color, yet, somehow, I felt drawn to paint this dress in a cool hue.

I picked a color that is widely associated with calm, clarity, and composure.

These are the feelings that I would like this painting to stir up in viewers.

It would be great to know that this image uplifted someone who may have had a hard day.

Here is a short video of the painting process.

A painted woman in a blue dress.

I used to really dislike watercolor.

I thought that acrylic would always be my first choice.

The few times that I had used watercolor, the strokes of color were dark and pasty.

This was not flattering to the images.

I finally realized that my hand was too heavy when painting with this medium.

I needed to have a lighter touch, and allow the watery paint to flow across the image.

This new insight changed the outcome of my watercolor paintings.

Watercolor is now my preferred medium.

I appreciate that the lines in the sketch are still visible after painting over them.

I'm so glad that I gave watercolor one more try.

If you like hummingbirds as much as I do, you will enjoy browsing these Etsy shops that sell hand painted hummingbirds.

My work will be for sale soon.

I will keep you posted on this website.