My first watercolor portrait.
After a picture of me at the age of 19.
I am quite happy with my first attempt of painting a face, and of painting skin tones.
But I failed miserably in painting the hair. I painted layer after layer, lifted parts, painted it again and again, and in the end covered the entire hair in colored pencil.
In real life my hair was red-blonde, but in this photograph it was a darker red.
I learned that I cannot for the life of me (watercolor) paint curls.
Well, anyhow, I think overall it is not bad for a first try.
I can’t get over how your first tries come out. You have natural artistic talent. My first tries come out like a focussed three-year old gave it their all haha!
@MamaRhi, good to know that a more accomplished watercolor artist is struggling with painting hair too. It’s those damn curls (the main reason I picked this picture…).
By the way: that was my natural hair.
@AntBee, I use some cheat codes. Like printing the picture in black & white with high contrast and then using a light box to trace the outlines and the position of the eyes and mouth and such on my watercolor paper with pencil.
@Zimbaly, oh no! Thanks for the warning, lol.
I don’t do commissions. I only paint what I want to paint, for the fun of it. This one wasn’t all fun…
A wonderful first try! I mean, maybe you don’t think the hair is quite like yours, but it for sure looks like hair. And the face looks like a real human and apparently looks like 19-year old you to boot!
I like it too! Very good and incredible for a first attempt.
I don’t know what your hair looked like of course, but you’ve basically painted the hairstyle both my mum and dad had in the early 80s! Dad’s was naturally curly and dark brown, mum had a perm but her natural colour is reddish brown. So to me the hair looks really realistic, even if it’s not exactly like your hair.
I’m not a painting expert at all but it makes sense to me that hair needs to be drawn in very fine lines to look realistic. I also like that the hair is slightly frizzy in a very realistic way.
Wow; this is amazing! As someone else said, your first tries always look incredible. I know you said the hair wasn’t the way you wanted, but I think it looks pretty awesome
Those daisies are incredible. I would not have known it was watercolour if you had not said it… My mom loves daisies, so every time I see them, I think of her. It always brings me a smile
Congratulations! Your awesome make is one of this week’s Featured Projects! 
