Homeless self portrait experiment

Quickly on Wednesday morning I took some spontaneous photographs wrapped in an old scarf and my mam's big cardigan. These resulted in a quick oil painting experiment which will lead onto a bigger 1m x 1m canvas oil painting. Many people have told me to leave the face as a drawing as I painted the clothes and hair first. This was just by accident because I feel like I start painting the face first on every painting I do. Some accidents are good accidents though and help you with your work.

I began with a drawing this time because I feel like to get a real likeness drawing is the only way I can do that. Instead of painting the face first I went onto the clothes and the oil paints give a really nice texture for painting materials.

Inititally I thought I wasn't going to paint the pattern on the scarf but when it came down to it I felt like the portrait needed the texture.

I have been deliberating drawing a background in behind the portrait to give it more of a context and continue the pencil vs paint in this painting.