WIP portrait

I've attempted to show a work in progress of a watercolour self portrait. As usual, I got over involved in the creating process and forgot to take all the necessary images that are needed to understand just what I did to get to the final image. This is painted on Canson 140 lb paper 11 x 14.

The bottom image is my trusty box of watercolours, well used and well loved along with the line drawing.

I then did a wash of yellow ochre and burnt sienna to cover the flesh.

I started the background, using loose washes of cadmium orange and ultramarine blue, then added some basic value shapes to the hair.

I continued to add layers, working all sections of the portrait. using similar colours. My palette consisted of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium orange, sap green. Its there where the stages got lost to my creative instincts.

I continued enhancing shadows and refining shapes til I reached the final image. There are parts of it that I like and several parts that I don't like. The colours aren't as transparent as I wanted - I know I worked it too much and muddied it in places. I also know that passages aren't as dark as they need to be. I am aware that is a constant challenge for me, to increase the darker values in watercolours. But each piece brings me a little closer to where I want to be.