I've had a go at drawing the face of the lady in the photograph - whilst I am loving the challenge, it has been really difficult and I have questioned the need to continue. I know I am safe with machines, objects and still life, but i would really like to be able to draw faces as I am fascinated people and their reactions to situations and spaces.
In the first image, the eyes are looking straight on; in the photograph they look down and to the side. But her eyes are also slightly different and one looks down more than the other. After a while I decided that the first image really wasn't working so I cut it out of the main drawing and started work on a smaller piece of solufleece that can be added to the drawing later.
 |
| first attempt |
 |
| second attempt |
I think that the eyes are better but, the left eye should be slightly more closed. However, I can't work on the eye anymore or it will become overworked and will contain too much thread which will bulk when the backing fabric is removed. I have decided to continue with this image but I wonder if the colours are working. The thread is quite tricky for portraits: unlike paint I am not able to mix the exact colour that I need. I can blend by altering the tension but the threads are like coloured pastels and my drawing is taking on a painterly effect.
