Sarah Palin

This is my initial sketch of a new painting. On one hand this image seems very crude and kind of lame. The right eye is too far to the left which gives the portrait a peculiar look. But as a painting it actually feels open and filled with possibility when work with it. I began this painting with a transparent orange oxide wash mixed with lots of linseed oil. I pushed the wash around with rags and brushes and blocked in the the basic forms. My wash was one part linseed oil and three parts rectified turpentine. I then mixed a little ultramarine blue with what was left over on my palette and began sketching out the image. I didn't even catch the misshapen eyes until the next day.