Giselle returned to model for the life-painting group I attend. She started with a couple of short poses, including this 10-minute pose. Normally that's enough time for me to get the basic shapes and do some shading, but in this case I focused on refining the proportions, particularly the foreshortened right leg.
Geoff Watson, "Sketch of Giselle," graphite on paper, 18" x 24," 2017.
Then she returned to the pose I started painting last week (see my blog post "Giselle," Sept. 24, 2017). I had hoped to finish this today, but I got preoccupied with her hair and ran out of time. The hair was fun: she had it up in a bun for the sketch but let it down for the portrait. Also, I was having so much fun with the hair that I forgot to do the really fun stuff -- highlights! I didn't even remember to highlight her nose. On top of all that, the lighting had changed a bit, and I was a little indecisive about whether to change my shadows; I'll need to fix those too. So there's lots of work left. Giselle will return sooner or later, so I should get another chance at this one.
Geoff Watson, "Giselle" (work in progress), oil on panel, 11" x 14," 2017.