by Lisa Larrabee
I think one of the biggest tricks when painting eyes is not to paint too much. It is so important to simplify. The goal isn't to capture every eyelash, but to convey how the light travels across the form. Ideally, if this is done with accuracy, the eyes communicate with you. I think these eyes are fairly close to finished, but I feel that they look a little startled. I also intend to drop the value of the eye on the left a bit. It doesn't read that it is in shadow compared to the eye on the right (except that it doesn't have the highlight). We shall see how the rest of the painting develops.
I want to mention how much fun I am having with this painting. Because it is a study just for me, I feel free to push myself. I really wanted to focus on color temperature and I think I am making progress. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!