Shiela Branson Artwork: Experimental Portrait First Trial Run

NOTE: I'm using my own face for practice not out of ego but out of respect for everyone else - don't want them getting burnt up in my wood stove.

I'm not altogether sure I want to post the progression of what may well turn out to be a total FLOP, but I may as well.

It's all a part of who I am and what I do, the experiments that make good and the ones that don't ...

I already know that this one is unsalvageable so I can tell you ahead of time that it's NOT going to end up being something I want to keep.

It is, however, part of the learning I have to do whenever I try new things.

If I were already an expert, I wouldn't have to figure things out as I go along, you know.

I have never in my life painted human faces, or drawn them except on a couple of VERY rare occasions when I was doodling. I have done eyes, but not in the context of a real face.

Now that the introduction and excuses are out of the way, you want to see something that ought to make you vomit?

Here you go:

Rough draft in every sense of the word.

Some changes, but not enough.

Getting closer but needs a MAJOR overhaul.

Erased some of the most glaringly needy areas. Here's hoping I'm a good surgeon because this lady here needs a lot of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery!

This is as far as I've gotten...it's pastels over an acrylic sky scape and ROUGH going, literally, as the surface is rough with the paint. If I can't get it right it goes into my wood stove!

AAAAUGH!!!!!!!!

That's the biggest yell of frustration I've hollered out in a long time.

THIS BETTER BE WORTH IT.