The base work for the pattern is complete, and a couple of my students said “I’d wear that dress” so I think I’ll let this dry, lighten it up a bit, then pop a bit of yellow into it to mellow the highlights into the rest of the fabric.
The drop shadows beneath the arms are working well to establish the yellow girl and the Empress in three dimensions, and I’m looking forward to adding shadow elsewhere in the painting to gain increasing solidity to the figures.
I’ve worked on the white dress, adding a glaze of Foundation White over the surface to soften those brown shadows back into the fabric, making the dress feel cleaner and brighter. I put highlights of bright Ceramic White around the hem, making that edge pop out a little. I want to figure out patterns for a subtle lacy border to this dress, but it will have to be carefully done so it doesn’t attract too much attention. I’d like it to be one of those features to the painting that you only notice if you are really paying attention, so it becomes a treat for gallery visitors.
