Still more to do but the eye is becoming more as I want it. It needs to be 'glassy' in appearance. The eyelashes will be added after the surrounding flesh has been completed after which, the texture on the right side of the eye will make more sense.

Just a little more work on the eyes. There are so many tones in the 'white' of and eye it is very interesting to observe them. There is much work to do yet; defining highlights and their reflected colour, eyelashes, their reflections and shadows and the blending of the flesh around the eyes. There will be many subtle changes of colour and tone yet, but I am happy with the progress.

It looks very strange with the pupils blocked in but it is the eyes that I believe can 'make' a portrait. The eyes of people, they say, are ' the window to the soul'. I believe that the character of a person can be seen in the eyes and I hope to convey the character of my grandson through the 'eyes' of this painting.
I am finding it a challenge to not work wet in wet with this work but have to resist the temptation.
The blocking in should not take a long time as there are some large expanses of skin and hair.
A challenge as it is, I am excited about the journey.

Still difficult to see yet, but I have made a start. With this painting, I am trying a different technique - I am going to block in large areas of underpainting and make them smooth, rather than impasto in texture. I shall wait for areas to dry before overpainting with the different tones and textures. I think that this will be more suited to the large areas in the composition and the subject.
I am also using a method where I paint in the dark areas in the early stages and work the lighter areas later, gradually building up the different tones.
I shall need to think more carefully before I add paint.
I will also use 'soft' edges to add the natural feel of the work. Using hard edges, especially on this scale, would have the effect of making the subject appear 2 dimensional or superimposed on the background.
I have to admit, though, that i am experiencing more apprehension with this painting than any other that I have done. When painting a portrait, if the image does not match the communal image of the person, there is some disappointment for the artist. It is important to me also, that the character of the person 'shines through' in the finished work.

I was reluctant to put this photo on the post because it is so difficult to see. I have begun to map out the portrait on the canvas but I am anxious to make sure that I have the minimum of lines and pencil marks because I want this painting to have the paint as pure as I can make it.
I need some points, so that I am able to make the face a good likeness, which is not as easy when enlarging on this scale. The canvas is approximately 91cm x 120cm and the sketch is quite small. I have not used a grid reference, but I have made some proportion measurements and placed marks accordingly.
I am inexperienced, not just with oil paints, but also with portraits as a subject, so I proceed with a little trepidation.
 I am considering that working 'wet in wet' will not work with this, as I want very gradual, but smooth tonal changes on the face. This should reflect his 'tender' years.

This is a preliminary sketch of my next oil painting which will be a portrait of my grandson.
I have only done two portraits in the distant past and those were using acrylic paints. I think that I could say that they were moderately successful. I have never attempted one using oil paints, so it will present quite a challenge for me. This sketch is from a pose where he was listening to his nana read a story on a cool winter morning, hence the coat with a 'wooly' collar. He wasn't looking at her but was immersed in the magic of the story and its reading. He was not aware of me either.
The painting will be much larger than life.

Almost complete. A few highlights and lines on the cornice to the left of the composition still to be added. I shall also make some colour adjustments to the shadows on the young lady's apron as the shadows, done at different times present as two different colours of blue. It is easy to see why I am thinking of the title 'The Wave'! My next project is an oil portrait of my grandson and a watercolour companion to my ladies shoes painting. Watch this space!