Using an Overlay to Check for Accuracy In A Painting

I ADORE painting faces but many times, especially when I get in a hurry, my sketches seem off. There are several ways I can go about changing them: 

SLOW DOWN AND USE MORE OBSERVATIONAL SKILLS 

BEGIN WITH A BASIC GRID SYSTEM 

USE TRACING PAPER TO ACT AS A GUIDE

OR....USE A DIGITAL OVERLAY IMAGE TO HELP ME SEE WHERE I AM OFF 

Every one of these strategies work, but I am going to show you how I use Picmonkey to create a quick overlay. 

First, head to www.picmonkey.com which you can use for free or you can subscribe. I subscribe and use it daily so the 5-9 buck cost per month is so worth every penny. The overlay option is offered in the subscription plan.  (I am not an affiliate of Picmonkey I just love the ease of the program.)

Click on Edit, then Computer

Over to the left click on the butterfly and then the tab, "Add Your Own" and upload the image you wish to overlay.

Once your overlay is there, you can shrink or enlarge it over the photo. Then you will want to fade it. Over to the right click FADE

Move the FADE button left or right until you are able to see the underlying image. It takes a hint of practice but can totally help you see where you might be off.

Once you get the overlay set, crop your image and save it. Use it as a guide.

As you can see, I paint expressively. My goal is NEVER hyper realism or realism, it is simply to capture a likeness. I really like the painting I have here, but IF I had wanted to alter it and wasn't sure how, I could use the overlay strategy to show me what part of the face I needed to shift. 

This is a quick tip strategy I teach in my online workshops. If you are interested in learning more about those, head over to www.ardithgoodwin.com/workshops and give me a shout out!