A Good Hat

I stumbled across this photo of a gentleman while using an app I jump on to find photos and practice random portraits. Something about his serious look — and that seriously awesome hat—made me say, “Yep, this is happening.”

It also felt like the perfect excuse to give Mineral Paper a spin — this was my first ever attempt at using this material. Spoiler: it was a rollercoaster. On one hand, I loved the way the colors absolutely jumped off the page — it was like watercolor on steroids. On the other hand, I found myself fighting how ridiculously sensitive the paint is once it gets wet again. Since I usually paint in layers, that little quirk had me muttering a few choice words under my breath more than once.

But hey, that’s part of the fun, right? Every new material is an adventure. I can already tell there’s something about this paper I want to figure out, so I’ll definitely keep experimenting.

For now, here’s the piece—hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed (and wrestled with) making it.

9" x 16", Watercolor on Mineral Paper