Girl On Sofa

by Nazima Mohammed
(Trinidad & Tobago)

This painting was completed yesterday 25th of May 2011. It took me four days to put together. I first stretched my paper on a flat piece of ply wood, tacked the edges and applied two coats of gesso to my paper. When it was dry I sketched in my subject on the sofa and the background leaves. I mixed in my palette some olive green oils and applied that to the subject leaving to dry for one day.
I painted in the background using shades of greens, yellows and a pinch of orange, I also incorporated in some shades of browns and black. The following day I started painting my subject starting from the hair using a mixture of burnt umber and raw sienna also a pinch of black, while holding my flat bristle brush in an upright position I gently made strokes forming the curls down her shoulder.
I mixed in some burnt sienna, raw sienna, and burnt umber to get the color of her skin. For the lighter shades I mixed in some white to the burnt sienna and raw sienna. For her lips I used crimson and white and a shade of the burnt sienna.
I really like this painting, my friends think its hot!!!I posted it up on my Facebook wall and I got a lot of comments some which made me feel impressed with my work others which suggest that I may just be their personal portrait artist......
I thank you for the opportunity to post my work on your website...