Watercolor Portrait of Stu Raleigh NC

April 5, 2020 / 14x11 watercolor / Raleigh Portrait Artist

This is a watercolor portrait of my brother Stu, who lives in Wake Forest NC. I almost didn’t post this painting because, I didn’t like it at first. I don’t always like the work I’m doing, and sometimes that has nothing to do with the painting and more to do with what my mood is at the moment and how tired I’m feeling at the end of the paint session.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t happy with this painting, I thought the overall features were a bit rough. But, this painting was growing on me. I had to take a break, I was spending too much time looking at my mistakes and not realizing how successful the painting really was. Everyone who knows my brother, recognized him right away. I was able to capture the likeness of my brother.

The lesson learned here, is to give myself time to rest after a painting session. After a good rest, I’m able to look at my work with fresh eyes and I’m better able to determine what comes next. Am I finished or do I need to rework the painting?