Yoltzin

Finally a chance to show a new painting! It’s taken a while to finish this one but I’m so glad I took my time. That hair was worth the extra work!

I love watching the little ones step in the dance circle in their regalia. Sometimes they seem overwhelmed, sometimes they just walk around following their elders and sometimes they try their hardest to keep up with the beat of the drums and dance steps.

I started this painting back in September, inspired by a little girl I saw dancing at a Xocotlhuetzi ceremony ("when fruit falls" or harvest celebration). She was tiny and sweet and I thought her regalia colors were beautiful.

I wanted to have this painting filled with sparkly light and healing colors, just what I felt at the ceremony.

Generally I like to start on the face which I think is the most important part of any portrait. If helps me to gage how the rest of the painting will turn out. I try to paint as straight forward as I can with an underpainting to establish a foundation of colors and then use glazes or more saturated colors to get to the strength of colors I need. For me, the fewer layers the better.

I also like to start painting colors in the hair that relate to the skin tones, that way it doesn't end up looking like a wig.

In this painting I cut loose with the pinks and blues and peachy yellows and even a little gold, not to mention using the contrasting black. It was really fun to make the colors come alive. Isn't that what painting is all about?

Did I mention that the hair took a long time to paint? LoL

I really loved the way this one turned out and for me it feels like the colors and light reflect little Yoltzin's spirit.