10/10/08
Worked on the chair and purse. The highlights are a bit strong but will knock them back when dry with some warm glazing.
10/3/08
Worked on the lacing and tattoo.
Defined each individual lace and reinstated the corset outliine. Had to work on the shadow of the lacing acouple of times to fall behind the actual laces. The laces once darkened in help the illusion of space with the shadow.
Painted in the hand and re did the lacing completely. The eyelets are beginning to come in as well as the lacing and corset shadows. The pattern on the rug are slowly fading in. The center pattern still needs tweaking to make the plain jet foward and not tuck under like it's doing. I need another picture of her foot to flatten out the way it lays on the flat rug. Painted in the legs with a fleshier tone and modified her foot. Took pictures of a great antique purse to put on the chair.
7/18/08
Tentatively I slowly glazed in the pattern of the rug. At one point I painting out the lacing to reinstate the flesh under it. it needed much more warms shadows. I also had to retake a picture of the model's hand.
12/17/07
This model has very pale translucent skin. Transparent cobalt glazing has been added to most of her bottom and left arm.
Worked on the darks and the hair putting some subtle browns. Began painting the tattoos in as well as placing the lacing on the Corset.
11/07/07
Brought up more highlights in the skin. Blues and greens are more visible the lighter the skin gets. I began preparing/tinting where her tattoos will sit. I had to widen her ankle and pull her heel to size her foot. Different colored blacks are visible close up. I preffer to make my own black. I only used straight tube ivory black for the velvet of the chair and a mixture of ivory black and blues in the corset. I feel that I need to push the chair back some..but the closeness of the legs to her is also creating a certain tension that I like. Will keep playing with moving the chair idea around.
Have been working the red forground. Am adding a red oriental rug. The blacks in the corset and chair have been re-stated. Used palette knife to apply the corset texture. Defined the chair some, lifting the top of the chair to pass her head bun for breaking up tension.
8/16/07
Blocked in the background. Used sap green, ochre, aliz crimson and lots of french ultr marine.
Brought up the lights in the shoulders as well as the arm. The picture does not show skin so well. Might need to shoot again. Love what the bkgrnd does to the blacks.
8/14/07
Worked on the skin..spent most of the day contemplating the background.
The corset is satin, and the chair is velvet. The background has to be subdued enough to not over power the subtleties that need to show later.
While dry, worked with transparent darks: ultra french marine, aliz. crimson and sap green. Used transparent cad red for reflective lights around the her bottome. Then stepped up the lights two shades lighter adding some cobalt cad red purple, or yellow ochre to manipulate the color ever so slightly.
6/11/07
Read Mixing Palette first!
I use a large brush to paint on the darkest light all over the body that is not in shadow.
Shadow areas. Mixing darkest light with french ultra marine or cobalt, then applied to the shadows. The transitions (where the light and shadows meet) are blended together while wiping the brush clean in between each stroke.
Here I went up to 3 steps up lighter working wet on wet blending as I go.
5/14/07
I work towards getting a graphic light and dark contrast while working the composition. I am always checking with the straight edge to make sure the figure stays the same size because it can grow if I'm not paying attention. Squinting really helps to keep me on the overal feeling of tonality, not getting caught up in detail... keeping to the overal light and dark areas. At this stage I add french ultra marine to the burnt umber to really punch in the darks.
The graphic contrast of the image does not carry a lot of detail because it will be covered with paint in the next step.
5/14/07
With oderless turps I begin to lift some color. I do this underpainting process the same day..withing a window of 2-3hours. Because I'm using turps the mid tone will not stay open for very long. Using paper towels and clean brushes I begin to pull color showing light from the white of the panel.
*This part is very messy..and even though I do not smell the turps it does get to me. This is an intense period in a painting but I still try to take frequent breaks no matter how ventilated I think the room is. Others prefer to use linseed oil for this process all together for archival reasons.
5/14/07
Using a mixture of turps and burnt umber with a big brush I cover the white panel with a medium tone.
Using a long straight edge I triangle the highest top point with the two farthest points left and ritght; top of the head to left toe to right hand fingers. What I end up with is a triangle where I can then us angles to find the next points; shoulders, hips and elbow. I begin connecting the lines..this gives me a contour all the way around the figure. I then begin to block out negative spaces with darks.
I am only using turps with burnt umber at this point with a 3" bristle brush and a small #2 brush for the points.
Supplies List:
-Medium Density Overlay sign board
-Gamblin PVA
-Gamblin Oil Primer
-Gamsol
Paints:
D. Rowney Georgian oil paints (staple cheaper colors)
-Burnt Umber
-French Ultra Marine
-Cad Red
-Naples Yellow
-Burnt Sienna
-Yellow Ochre
-Alizarin Crimson
Williamsburg oil paints (the good stuff)
-Cad Red Deep
-Cad Red Medium
-Cad Red Purple
-Naples Yellow Italian
-Montserrat Orange
-Cobalt Blue
-Curelean Blue
-Sap Green
Brushes:
Bristle (hog) 1", 2.5" & 3"
Interlock Bronze Dynasty 2,4,6,8,10,12
Dynasty Symmetry Mosaic 2,4,6,8,10,12
Solvents/Oils:
-Oderless Turps
-Walnut Oil
-Groves Amber
Misc:
- Bounty paper towels
- Safflower oil to clean brushes
- Pure Clove oil in spray bottle with equal part turps. Used to spray paints on palette to keep from drying between session.
- Savvy Hand & Brush Soap
- Savvy Hand Barrier Cream