Saturday, October 5, 2013

"Encore"

Here is my new painting, a self portrait of me playing my oud to my dogs.


Here are the notes I've taken while painting it:

For session one, I started on the under-painting. I've been taught to always paint the most important things first, so I started with the face, and moved to the dogs. I used a mixture of transparent oxide brown cut with half again as much ultramarine blue. I wanted a neutral middle pigment balanced slightly toward warm.

For session two, I spent a lot of time working on the face. I broke my rule of using only transparents for the under-painting and broke out some whites. After the face, I did the chair and some shadows. I used subtle mixes of transparent oxide brown, ultramarine blue, and terra rosa to add nuances of warm and cool.

For session three, I worked on the oud, the wall, the floor, and added some color to the flesh tones. I tried something that I had not really done before. With transparent paint, sometimes it is hard to get a smooth tone. It can be rough, uneven, and sometimes gritty. I tried to mix some transparent white with my pigments where I did not want that unevenness. Transparent white is only semitransparent. It has some qualities of opaque paint but still lets what's underneath through. It was moderately successful.

Session four: I darkened up the overall painting with some glazes. I also did the rug. Finally, I added some strings to the oud. I did this by using a palette knife loaded with paint. I think the under-painting is done.

Session six, I did the dogs. In particular, the black dog, Murry, was painted witha mixture of transparent oxide red, alizarin crimson, and ultramarine blue as a mixed up black. The result was so black, though, that I had to add some to the darks in the rest of the painting so the dog did not stick out like a sore thumb.

Session seven, I worked on the back wall and the floor. I thought I was done, but now I notice a spot on the oud that needs some work. I'm going to sit on it a few days too and see if I see anything else.

Here are links showing the progress over time:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Final

Friday, August 16, 2013

Portrait Class

Here are the paintings I made in a portrait class at the Drawing Studio. This class used the direct painting method, where I am more of a indirect painter, so it was a stretch for me.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

"Post Alley"

Here is my newest painting, a scene in Seattle's Post Alley.


Here are the notes I've taken while painting it:

Session one was a marathon session where I finished the entire under-painting. I wanted to stay loose. I used nothing but transparent pigments to complete it, which included terra rosa, transparent oxide brown, van dyke brown, ultramarine blue, and terre verte.

Session two, I filled in the sky, sidewalk, tables and chairs, and other areas with opaque paint. I really struggled with the sky. At one point it was too warm, then too cool, then some rainbow mixture of the two. I finally settled with what I wanted, some warm yellow overlaid with cool blues.

For session three, I worked on the back buildings, the tables and chairs, and foreground figures. The foreground figures I worked over and over again. I'm still not totally happy with them. They will have to do, though.

I think I might be done. I might sit on it a few days and see.

Here are links showing the progress over time:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Final

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Under-drawing

Here is the under-drawing for my new painting:

Friday, May 3, 2013

"Barrio Viejo"

These are from a plein air class I took at the Drawing Studio, where we went into the historic barrios in Tucson and painted.






Monday, April 29, 2013

"Hafla in the Outlands"

Here is my new painting. It is on a 48 x 36 inch canvas. Click to embiggen.


Here are the notes I've taken while painting it:

For session one, I started on the under-painting. Here I used a mixture of transparent oxide brown and ultramarine blue for the dark areas, and straight transparent oxide brown for the light areas. I started with the most important thing first, the accordion player. After that, I started filling in the dark areas, because there is so much of it. The under-painting will take a while to complete.

Session two, I started on the belly dancer. I added terra rosa to my palette of transparent pigments. The terra rosa really gives a warm glow to the flesh tones. I like this because they are supposed to be lit by fire. I think that that really works.

Session three: I filled is as much of the dark areas as I could. Should note that as a approached the torches, I used more transparent oxide brown, to give a warm glow to the dark areas.

For session four, I started on the drummers. Trying to get that right balance between my dark mixture, and the terra rosa was difficult. Some of it will have to be revisited.

Session six: the under-painting is done!

Session eight: It might be done. I'm going to sit on it for a bit.

Here are links to the images showing progress over time:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Final

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Under-drawing

Here is the under-drawing for my latest painting. It is on a 48 x 36 inch canvas. Click to embiggen.

Friday, February 8, 2013

"Overlooked Flowers on Valentine's Day"

Why does everyone give roses for Valentine's Day? I think people should give more sunflowers. Therefore, I give you my latest painting.

Here are the notes I've taken while painting it:

For session one, I completed the under-painting using nothing but transparent pigments: ultramarine blue, transparent oxide brown, terra rosa, transparent gold ochre, and alizarin crimson. So far, I'm pretty happy with it.

For session 2, I did two things. First, I did the pitcher and bowl. I tried to use a mixture of warm and coll pigments to give them a richness. Second, I did the background, which was a mixture of permanent green, transparent oxide brown, sap green, titanium white, and ultramarine blue. I tried to mix it up there too, to give it a richness.

For session three, I did many things. First, I did the greenery, using permanent green medium, sap green, transparent oxide brown, and titanium white. Second, I did the sunflowers. This was using cadmium yellow light, cadmium yellow deep, cadmium red, and transparent oxide brown. Finally, I fixed the small purple flowers using alizarin crimson, titanium white, cadmium red, and ultramarine blue. Oh, and let's not forget the reflections and highlights. I think the painting might be done. I will sit on it and see.

Here are links to images showing progress over time:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Final

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Under-drawing

Here is the under-drawing for my new painting, another floral still life.