How To Draw and Paint Drawgirl
Step 58

Drawgirl is continued with the explanation and illustration of the fifty-eighth step of this pastel portrait painting tutorial.





The burnishing technique of rendering the model's hair, which began in step 54, is finally continued here after the artist made a detour in order to complete the rest of the portrait except the hair. The pastellist no doubt realized that only three more brief steps were needed for her skin to be done. Now that the portrait is basically over, the artist begins the final stages by continuing the burnishing technique applied to the model's hair. Recall I said that burnishing is the alternating of light and dark colored layers. Realizing that, you will notice that this step is two steps in one. First, the light color layer, yellow, is laid down, and second, a dark color layer is laid over that. Now, what is that dark color? You probably wonder why I am asking such a silly question, because obviously green is that dark color for that is what you see on the painting. However, that raises even another question... why green? Remember in my eBook I wrote about the use of cool colors (which includes the use of green) and how to accidentally create green? With that hint, you know what really happened in this current burnishing step. That's right, green was accidentally manufactured in her hair. The artist painted her hair white in step 54, then in this current step s/he painted it a light color, lemon yellow (Rembrandt soft pastel 201.5), followed by a dark color, black, resulting in the green you clearly see. Can you guess what color will be next in this burnishing process? Whatever it is, you know it will be a light color.

Your coloring process continues still in... Step 59.




Go To Step 59

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