dissecting the creative process: Chocolate's visa

How I do a painting?
I will show you the process, step by step.
Usually I work with live models or I gain the confidence of a interesting people (with food or alcohol or good conversation) and then I do a portrait.
But this painting was created as a product of meditative process that took several weeks.
It is why I will use this painting as example.

"Visa con chocolate"
By Ytaelena López
Mixed media in Fabriano paper
2009

I STEP

do a simple draw with pencil in Fabriano paper.
I set the color and technique that I will use for the skin: blue and pink watercolor. This is as a reference, only.
Then, I work in the visual focus of the painting: the eyes. I work with watercolor Ink and I use a masque for protect the white parts.




II STEP

Then I worked with the watercolor:
I did the loose lines in blue, then pink.
The lines follow the patch of the muscle... well maybe no. Maybe I did because I fell in that way, jejeje.
The same with water... I paint mostly with water.
Then the tenths with ink and then the lips with red pen ink. Before applied red I used a acrylic transparent glossy mask. ;)
And the eye again! Acrylic brown (? I don't remember the mix) is perfect for Dans eyes.



STEP III

Now it is the turn to play with blue, sorry, shadows.
Up do down: the watercolor dripped for the forehead to the down, in the shirt.
The blue color is color river that expanded and mixed, though the water's magic.
Then, the hair... an expresso coffe is mixed with sepia, then brushed, and then... mmm!
I like it!

But It's not ready yet



FINAL STEP (I jump some :S)

At least! the final version of "Visa with chocolate"

After correct the "Marilyn Monroe"'s dyed that I did in the hair with Prussian washes and finish the arm with the same technique that I used in the face, there is a lot of work remain.

1- The background:
If we are portraying a baker, the background should be a kitchen. I do the sketch of the kitchen in hard pencil.
But I don't want to steal attention to the main figure. I do the shadow with washes, using coffee infusion and the dirty water that I used for clean the brushes.
Then, when the paper is dried, I do all the background with lines, using fluorescent metallic and sparking Sakura ink gel pens.

2- The focal point: the cake (+the knife)
I always keep the space for the knife clean since the beginning, using masque liquid. Now I retired the masque and I do the lines with black ink.
The cake was already settle, too. I put a copy of a H1B Visa (American work permit for non immigrants aliens) in the cake, using medium acrylic gel. Then I cover with modeling paste (already tinted with brown acrylic), that looks like chocolate glazed. I put that "chocolate" in the knife, too. Then, some black and golden ink washes in the cake and... VOILA!

The chocolate visa's cake is ready to eat!