Reading Rainbow was inspired by one of Andrew Loomis' paintings of a girl in a yellow shirt reading a book. In starting with the composition, I asked my roommate, Emily McClure, to model for me. Once the composition was created, I started with a study of the face. In the study, I compared and contrasted burnt sienna and french ultramarine blue for the undertones of the skin. After completing the analysis, I transferred the drawing to the final canvas. Moving forward with the burnt sienna oil wash I established the values of the painting. Then working thin to thick, I sculpted the form allowing the painting to come to life. Pushing the shadows and the highlights sets Emily in ambient light with slightly saturated colors.