Watercolor Portrait of Kyra

After completing Pastoral Tarot, I’ve been taking time off to do some personal fine arts work. First up is a portrait of my 16-year-old daughter Kyra. I was inspired by the lighting in her bedroom and had her stand by the window so I could take a photo. Next, I rendered a pencil drawing before applying watercolor washes. I didn’t overly plan this piece color-wise. I just went with my gut and decided to exaggerate the hues to give it a somewhat ethereal presence. I wanted the lighting to be striking and the colors to pop. It took about a week from start to finish – using a combination of broad washes with a larger brush and then employing dry brushing techniques using a small paintbrush (Windsor Newton series 7 size 0) to bring out the details. I like that it’s a departure from my normal illustration work. It felt good to do a stand-alone piece with the simple purpose of satisfying my creative yearnings. My daughter and I are happy with the results.