The first brushstrokes

I wrote a dissertation about how difficult it can be to make a piece of work after a long period of time and how hard it can be sometimes to put the first bit of paint down. I always feel hesitant when it comes to this, which is why I always take the first steps slowly. In the first day of painting, I might only do a few steps to get this particular work going but at least I will be satisfied and happy with the work I have done.

To start with I set up my canvas on the wall, I will stretch it to frame later, and set my pallet up. As I am starting a new painting, I took my time mix the base layer of paint because I didn't want it to affect my progress later down the line.

This is what I finished with on the first day. I got a basic outline done which is how I always go I about starting a new painting. If I block in some of the darker parts, say the background, I will know where my body ends and the background starts a lot easier. Basically, I make everything as simple as possible straight away then you can put any finer details in later on. The hands are a great example of this, block them in and use guidelines for knuckles and try not to overcomplicate things too early.