Vintage '67
30 x 24 - Oil on Linen Mounted to Panel
2007
I have been
asked many times if I would show a painting demonstration on my website.
I suppose the time must be right, so here it is.
Step one- The Drawing - Charcoal 18 x 12
|
|
 |
Days before I even start this charcoal sketch, I have an idea in my mind of what I'm after. The decanter was probably the catalyst for this painting idea. Working from life, I start on a piece of neutral toned paper focusing on the center of interest, the figure. I have already set up the scene in my studio and know the basic composition, so my main goal here is to capture the essential values and anatomy of the figure. I enjoy working with this particular model. I have many more paintings planned of her, so check back often. |
Step Two- The Color Study - Oil 10 x 8
|
|
 |
I start on a 10 x 8 linen panel that I toned green and had kicking around the studio. This stage is pretty simple and fun--I don't care about the detail at all. What I am after here is to see the fundamental values and colors of the painting. It helps me to see what works and what doesn't. I managed to sell this study almost immediately upon its completion to a collector who just happened to stop by the studio for a visit. |
Step Three- The Painting - Initial Charcoal Sketch
|
|
 |
I'm using a warm toned piece of linen I prepared days earlier and allowed to dry. The tone is a brushed on mixture of Transparent Oxide Red thinned with OMS and a small amount of Gamblin Galkyd. I start drawing with vine charcoal and work from my original sketch placing all of the elements according to my basic desired composition. I have enjoyed working on this warm toned color lately. I am really able to make it work to warm up the transparent shadows. |
Step Four- The Painting - Beginning Stages
|
|
 |
I
start immediately with paint after finishing the charcoal sketch. I
want to get the most important parts in first, so using a direct method
of painting, I go right into the figure and the surrounding background.
From this point I simply work my way out from the center of interest.
I will return to areas that need a little tweaking when I can compare
them to other areas that are now complete. |
The next day I begin to focus on another very important part of the painting, the decanter. I suppose it is the main focal point. I designed the painting to move your eye between three points of interest: decanter, head and hand with glass. I want to see what some of the darks are going to do compared to the highlights of the skin, so I go into some of the deep rich burgundy color of the drapery. I keep with some large brushes and keep these areas transparent and dark. Working the decanter is very difficult and at the end of the day I am exhausted yet very satisfied with the progress I've made.
|
 |
 |
The especially thick highlights are still very wet the next day when I start again, so I am very careful not to disturb them. OK I did accidentally drag a brush over one and had to repair it, Murphy's Law I suppose. This day I move over to the third in my triad of focal points, the hand and empty glass. I rework thin paint over the areas I have painted previously so that I can work back into them with a wet in wet technique. Then I go back into the background and have some fun with the blossoms after working with the difficult areas around the figure. So far so good, I am very happy with the painting. |
Step Five- The Painting - Finishing Stages
|
|
 |
Each
day that I work on the painting, depending on the area, different reference
is necessary; either live sessions with the model or working from photographs
that I have taken. Upon returning to a portion that I've already painted,
I will first oil out any sunken-in areas with a small amount of my medium.
I am then able to glaze, scumble and soften any edges as necessary until
I'm satisfied with the finished product. |
It's pretty much down hill from here. I just keep working into the areas until they all have paint on them. After the direct painting is done, a day or two later, I do a little glazing and scumbling in the flesh. I also do some minor temperature changes in the background and rework a few edges, trying to look at it with a fresh eye to make sure all of the ellipses are correct. All of the brushes I used on this painting were Filbert-shaped Royal Langnickel badger hair brushes. I used no hog bristle. You can actually lay down a lot of paint with these brushes, but they don't have the wearability that a hog bristle has and I can go through several in a painting.
|
 |
The Final Piece...signed and ready for its frame
|
|
 |
|
 Images from this web site may not be reproduced in any manner without permission from Listonart. Report any problems with this site to Webmaster This site was created Oct 10, 1998. © Copyright 1998-2008 Listonart. All rights reserved This page was last updated. |
Monday, May 5, 2008 6:07 PM
|