Here is another of my oil pastel portraits. This time I have sketched in some background and changed the paper. This paper is my best pastel paper for soft pastels but it has worked really well with the oil pastels. It is harder to blend but at least the pastel sticks more and then I don't end up with a gloopy mess. I have made mistakes with the head but I know where I have gone wrong. I didn't pay enough attention to the shape of the head and have made the face squarer than it should be. I have narrowed in the cheeks with a darker pastel to add shape. The scanner really seems to have an issue with reds and oranges and somehow the colours seem to be distorted from the painting. It also turns the white into highlights which look effective on the face but not right everywhere else. Elsewhere, a nice sunny day and I watched my eldest son play his first hockey match for Cheshire. They lost 5-2 against Greater Manchester, although I was assured that the Greater Manchester are very good and have been playing together for a while now. He played well and he was very pleased with himself. I have had some time to myself this weekend as the kids have spent some time with their dad - not allowed to have them on Mother's Day because 'every day is mother's day' I was told! Still they will be back soon.