Don't use too much blue - unwetted

The blue that can be very obvious is ultramarine - in certain lights, it just jumps away from other colours. Has to be the red/purple in it.... Indigo - for instance - melds with them; as does Prussian or Pthalo. I've found this in coloured pencil, and in watercolour - but not in anything else. Good portrait of you in contemplative mood.

There are two strong blues in that little set - Ultramarine, and the even more powerful Permanent blue, which looks a bit like Phthalo but packs a mean punch!

Like the characterful raised eyebrow Amanda, definitely you studying yourself, this is super work of course, your colours are always so good!

Thank you, Ros. Funny you should compliment my on my colours - I used to be pretty much a monochrome girl. Not quite sure what changed, but it sort of pivoted on a Fauvist workshop. Hang on, I think "Orange Julie", from that event, is around here somewhere - yup, here she is: https://www.painters-online.co.uk/Gallery/Amanda-Bates-Orange-Julie-1998---FauvismPortrait-Workshop/_ga78712_pg1