A local character

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

This has been a very different winter than any I can recall in my time in southern Vermont. Usually the snow inspires me to see things from a different perspective by highlighting the natural light on the landscape. This winter I have painted more landscapes out of season and done numerous figure studies or small portraits. I do believe there is progress in my work. 

This painting was done on lanaquarelle watercolor paper, a surface I have not worked on in a while but enjoy. I like the simple composition with the figure to the right of center, emphasizing the vertical orientation.

In an effort to emphasize the warmth of the individual's skin tone, I first put down a wash of warm gray. This was a mixture of cobalt, raw sienna and burnt sienna. Initially, I thought I would need to use white gouache to describe the beard. Gouache is an opaque pigment. However, I was able to develop the facial qualities around his beard by using a small brush with my transparent watercolors and developed shadows to describe the different shapes of the face.

I wanted to depict the folds in the hat better but decided to leave it alone to focus on other areas. Experience has taught me that every time you put a wash of color down it changes the relationship of the neighboring colors. Thus, there are times when it is best to leave it as it is. Regardless, there is a nice shadow projecting from the brim of the hat.