A quick sketch to get the feel of the form of my next watercolour painting subject - the ladies scarves.
I like the way they are knotted on black plastic rings and many different patterns and colours placed side by side.
I am thinking of tones of the complementary colours blue and orange but in an organised array rather than haphazard.
I have begun to sketch out the composition and hope to start painting over the next few days.
After this, I am already planning my new subject in watercolour.
Also, at the back of my mind is a subject for my next oil! I enjoyed painting Christopher, so maybe another portrait?

 
The painting of Christopher is now finished. I shall look at it for a couple of months and make adjustments if they present themselves. When I have been intimately involved in a painting over the process I sometimes miss minor defects which need correcting. Once this process has been done and the painting completely dry, I shall varnish it with a matt varnish and then frame it. This painting is not for sale, as it is a personal project, but it has given me much satisfaction and I have learned much ablut the techniques I need to develop. My next project is with watercolour, but I am also planning my next oil.

I added detail to one side of the zip. When doing this type of object, I don't count the 'teeth' and make it exact, but I look closely at the structure, so that, when I am suggesting the shapes with paint, it will look authentic.
I hope to complete the other side in my next session.
It is not shown completely in this photo, but the texture to the jacked on the left side of the painting has also been added. It is now beginning to look more complete.

Detail.

The coat and folds are beginning to take shape. I will add texture to the band on the left, which has a little more colour, and add highlights to the zip. Then I shall return to the hair to complete the composition.
I have begun to sketch out my next watercolour which is going to be a different challenge.

I have worked further on the jacket today, but I am not completely happy with the result. When I feel like this, I usually continue with some of the other details and return to the area that doesn't please me at a later stage when I am more removed from the emotion of it. This also gives the time for the paint to dry so that I can rework it if I choose to.

The light was catching the bottom of the lapel and press stud so this area will be made lighter. The sun tends to 'bleach out' colour, so one of the ways I try to depict this is to make the colours much lighter and add areas of white to provide the largest contrast. There is still a hint of the cerulean blue to add in patches on the edge of the lapel but I wanted to get the first colour to the bottom of the jacket.
There will be a little if the blue and red on the left hand side which will balance the colour on the right.

The colour and texture on the coat is now beginning to make sense. Whilst the fabric is a woven texture it is quite 'fuzzy' in appearance and so would not work with too much definition.
In one of my next posts, I shall add a close-up photo so that the paint texture is clear. It is a little more impressionistic than I normally like to do, but I am happy with the result.