Finally, a figure painting!

So last week, we spent the second Figurative Painting session working on a painting of a model. The professor set up a pretty cool still-life arrangement to go with the model. From my angle, I can see a glass vase, multiple pieces of fabric, and a mirror. Last week, I painted this 'sketch' of the model:

I spent way too much time on getting things exact, especially with the body and face. I paid for this today because the model changed positions significantly. I actually liked her new pose a bit more because the supporting arm on the left side of the canvas looked awkward. After about an hour or so, the painting ended up like this:
Maybe the change wasn't that significant, but it was enough to cause a minor headache. I slapped on a few other undercoats, reflecting the color of the fabric and the background I wanted to give it. I don't want to have easels and students in the background, so I'm thinking I'll just leave it dark.

By the end of the two three-hour sessions, this was the end result:
I ended up spending way too much time getting facial details correct. At least it bears a fairly striking resemblance to the model, but the rest of the painting isn't quite up to par.

Since I spent so much time on the face, I'll probably not touch it for a week or two as I bring the rest of the painting together. I say that I probably won't, but chances are...I won't be able to resist. Faces are my favorite subject matter to draw and paint, so the next few weeks will be difficult. I believe we have three more weeks to work on it, so check by often for updates!

-J