"Journey into nostalgia" (the process)

One beautiful thing about painting is the freedom to recreate creation. This should be your motivation, you have the right to edit whatever will not work for your painting, it's your creation.

I enjoy having to sketch on the canvas, albeit, a frame work which can be edited as I paint. This sketch serves as a foundation and makes it somewhat easy when you start to introduce colours, it gives you time to plan your painting on canvas. Some painters also do a study on paper before approaching the canvas, but I enjoy attacking the work straight on canvas. Though for this particular piece, I did a study of a similar pose of the same model; this exercise made me understand the best way to position the figure on canvas. 

So having to do a study helps to solve major problems before "hitting" the canvas. However, when I decide to approach the canvas straight, I start with a wash and then I sketch with burnt sienna, making sure I am somewhat satisfied with my sketch before I introduce colours.  

When introducing colours, one thing to consider is where to work from. Some painters prefer to work either from left to right or from top to bottom,  as the case may be. This however is not a one size fits all situation; some may prefer to bounce from one side of the canvas to another so as to create balance of mood, brush strokes pattern or colour. For this painting I adopted the two methods, I started from the left side of the canvas to the right but I did some touch ups on other positions as impulse suggested. 

One thing I enjoy about painting is the freedom to suggest. This opens the door for the viewer to participate in the painting process, the eye of the viewer is engaged in completing everything suggested in the painting. It some what breathes life into the painting, it keeps the work cooking. 

No attempt to blend, just suggestive stokes. However you choose to paint, be sure to enjoy yourself.

Finally, I keep the eye of the viewer centered on the figure and the two dolls, creating a vignette effect, I darken out the environment around the model, this creates a feeling of mystery in the painting and sends the eye of the viewer back to the figure.  

Few details like reflected lights help make paintings interesting.