This is my first attempt at painting on canvas (28×35 cm). I decided to try painting another portrait along the lines of the sketches I posted in my painted faces blog post. It was very different painting on canvas and out of my sketchbook for the first time. It was good to paint on canvas and feel like I was doing a “real” painting but I felt more restricted doing it somehow – I suppose I’ve been used to using a sketchbook where it doesn’t really matter what the result is, it’s all just experimenting and practicing, but taking these attempts out of the sketchbook and onto a canvas felt a bit more serious! Well I liked how the colours turned out but I hadn’t actually intended for the man to look worried/sad, it just ended up that way.

I did enjoy painting on canvas though and having a “finished piece” outside of my sketchbook and am halfway through working on a second portrait on a larger canvas. I’m sure with practice I’ll get more comfortable painting this way.