Beauty and the beach Artwork

My name is Tarja Vandergoot (Art by Tar) and I’m a self-taught artist from The Netherlands. I specialize in realistic portraits of women and mixed media art.My creative process is driven by intuition and a deep connection to womanhood, strength, vulnerability, and mysticism. It’s often after I've finished an artwork I understand what I've wanted to express. I start with a detailed graphite pencil drawing of a woman with a specific 'look' in her eyes or a captivating composition, which reflects my primary focus on drawing. While drawing is central to my work, I occasionally incorporate other media like photography or print. From there, I bring the artwork to life by adding vibrant paints, diverse materials, and intricate details. Once the physical piece reaches a certain point, I take a high-resolution photograph and bring it into the digital realm, where I experiment with colors, shades, and composition to enhance what the artwork needs. Depending on the final vision, I have the piece printed either behind plexiglass, which gives it a modern, polished look, or on aluminum dibond. If printed on aluminum, I continue the creative process by adding more paint and materials directly onto the print, further refining the piece. I then finalize the work with one or multiple layers of resin, creating a layered effect that adds depth and makes the artwork truly stand out.