Saturday Afternoon Portraits Collection: "My Friend" is a portrait I painted to capture Mark's intensity; his expressive features accented by the bright light of the sun and a dark fur hat. I laid down the drawing in pencil first. Then loosely washed his face with warm flesh tones and cool shadows that define the planes of his cheekbones, nose, and jaw. The transparency of the watercolor medium lends a luminous quality to his skin. Subtle color shifts add depth and allow me to explore the wonder of pigment and water moving on their own terms.