a child's greeting

This sweet girl is the cousin of the boy in the previous post. An introvert to his extrovert, many of the photos I took of her were a bit withdrawn, looking to mom, smiling at the camera with a wariness in her eyes. Her parents liked this pose, I think, because she is coming out of her shell a little bit more; I like to think she is hopping off the couch to go greet a loved one who has just walked through the door. I was worried at first that the couch might overwhelm her, but I like how it emphasizes her smallness, in a way.

I enjoyed using Old Holland kraplak rose in her cheeks and her sweater; it is not a weak color, but it does not have the tendency to overwhelm a tint like alizarin crimson. She has a beautiful skin tone that glows when the light hits it and takes on an almost lavender hue when in shadow.

Oil on linen, 2018.

#portrait #oilpainting #painting #oldholland #whiledthings