"Young Man with a Hat"

A great subject for our weekly painting sessions arrived last Friday. This young man with his fresh faced youth created an inspired session. Since we hadn't painted from him at all before, I had no preconceived notions about how to set him up visually on my canvas. After a few moments of putting out piles of paint on my palette, I set about using the angle of his body and coat to create a sense of immediacy. I couldn't wait to get back to working on the piece for a second week (six hours total including last week's session). My goal was to clarify and complete a few areas, but to hold onto the improptu feeling of the brush work. I came away happy with the way in which I resolved the painting.

The post below this on the page is the watercolor painting I worked on in my studio several days earlier this week, worked from a photo of him.