I’m not sure if this photo will show clearly what I want you to see. Keep in mind, photos somehow have an ex ray quality about them when trying to get an image of an oil painting.

When painting a portrait in bright light, some of the flesh must necessarily be in lesser light or even in shadow. This will certainly look dead until enough color is applied to give it some life. This process takes skill because adding too much light can cause a chalky looking surface, which is very un natural. But if we don’t get enough color and light, that dark under painting will look like putrefied flesh, for sure! The legs on the right got a nice balanced layer today. Look carefully at the legs on the left. One is only partly painted. I took the photo at this stage to help you see the difference. I do hope this helps you to understand and achieve a better reality in your own work. Diana