A new portrait! I have been working primarily with acrylics this time, in a quite monochromatic color scheme. I used a rather new technique, building up layer after layer. At the end I accentuated some of the details with pastel pencil.

I really enjoyed working like this. For a long time though, when I was working on it, I wasn’t sure if it would all come together. At a certain point I was even tempted to just throw it away, but I carried on and now I am quite pleased with the result. But you need a certain level of trust to work like this, with all these layers that make the portrait change again and again.

The face itself is quite interesting, in that it is a bit androgynous. Some people see a woman, others a man. Sometimes even both. I love that, because it invites people to make up a story around this person. I already have heard a few beautiful stories, and if you have one too I would love to hear it!

What Do You See. Acrylic paint and pastel pencil on watercolor paper. Size 28 x 38 cm (11 x 15 inch).