This is the last painting I did of the Greek goddesses of the four elements. Gaia, the goddess of the earth was the first painting I did. Hemera, the goddess of the sky, well actually the daytime, was the second one I did. Hestia, the goddess of the hearth that, I saw as the controller of fire, was number three. Aphrodite, the goddess of water, more famously known as the goddess of love was the last painting I did in this collection.

All the goddesses have green eyes. Some viewers saw this. Some did not. It was kind of fun seeing who did and who did not. Moving on. Within the prior posts I mentioned that I had learned how to make the eyes appear to look back at you and follow you around the room. I also said that I would reveal the secret with my last post in this collection. This is the last post in this collection.

The best old master's example of the phenomena that makes a portrait painting look back at you is the painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer. There are three elements to adhere to. 1. Determine the major light source direction that shines on the face. 2. Place the white highlight spot on the side of the eye closest to the light source in a direct line from the center of the light source. 3. This is the key step. Whatever color the eye is, be sure that the lightest value of that color is slightly spotted and blended into the true eye color. Also make sure that the lighter color spot on the iris is in the direct line of the light spot on the other side of the eye that is in the center of the unseen light source on the face. And of course, the nebulous concept about seeing what you look at that these three steps sit within is crucial. So have fun my fellow artists. My promise has been fulfilled.