This exercise was a first for me on a few levels: First master studies ever and first time painting an older person.
For the picture on top I made a rough sketch, then layed down base colors, shaded and detailed afterwards.
For the second picture I started laying down colors right away, first putting down basic shapes, then detailing further.
I didn't color pick in either of them. However, what I did was: I mixed a color I wanted to use, then made a stroke next to the color I wanted to replicate if I wasn't sure if it was close enough. If it was, I proceeded to apply it.
The given tips were a massive help, especially the desaturation layer.
I was surprised how little color bending is happening in the red part of the dress. Furthermore, it was interesting to see how visible the color regions of the face in the second picture are.
This was definitely a worthwile experience.
