It was my first time painting Yasmin. She was wearing a dark grey jumper which almost blended into the dark grey background. Deep tones of brown and grey were anchoring the composition. I thought it would be a great time to try Zorn Palette again.

I've been avoiding using black for a while, only because I read in an art book many years ago talking about nothing is truly black in the world and black makes colours muddy. Or does it? The colours in this study of Yasemin felt more unified and I was happy with it.

Yasemin emanated a quiet strength in the way she carried herself. Being an artist herself, we were chatting about the colour palette we used in our respective art practice. With her face facing forward framed by her dark hair, I was trying to capture the delicate colours on her skin illuminated by the soft and warm light. The small gold hoop earrings added a subtle glint and delicate contrast to the otherwise muted palette. I snuck in some muted pink in the background to create a warm and atmospheric backdrop.

Study of Yasemin