I make an effort every week or so to do at least one realistic watercolor study. Not only does this keep my watercolor skills from rusting if I happen to be working in another medium, but more importantly, helps me to continue to grow and improve as an artist, as it trains both my eye and my hand, so to speak.

Speaking of hands, they are, in my opinion, one of the most expressive features and have always been difficult for me to paint. So I started off the week trying to rectify that:

I love all the subtle colors hiding in skin tones, especially in the hands. You get everything from rose-hues at the fingertips and knuckles to the pale blues and teals of veins on the backs of the hands (at least, with crazy pale skin tones like mine you do).

It being springtime now has also made me crave pinks: light pinks, hot pinks, warm pinks, I love them all.  I've also enjoyed getting to break out my favorite wearable pinks from Chanel: at the moment, Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Candeur and C… — It being springtime now has also made me crave pinks: light pinks, hot pinks, warm pinks, I love them all. I've also enjoyed getting to break out my favorite wearable pinks from Chanel: at the moment, Rouge Coco Shine lipstick in Candeur and Coco Mademoiselle parfum (my top pick as far as perfume goes). So I figured, why not experiment with some quick sketches? There is something so effortlessly chic and feminine about light pinks, I think.