Summer Work: Week 4, Thursday

            I desire to learn the geometry of the face.  I have been working on two portraits with Edwina, which are taking time.  So, for the last long pose session at QAA, I decided to paint the model's face.  I know it is not perfect, but I think it is a pretty good start.  Most other times I have attempted to paint the face, I have used a photograph for reference with the exception of the most recent portraits.  This time, I only had a few hours, but I worked from life, which made a huge difference for me.  I realize if I were to complete this portrait, I would need to work on it much more, but here is a beginning:

 
















She is a bit cartoonish, but it was the best I could do in such a short amount of time.  Her eyes aren't quite right, but I have some overall depth in the painting.  The background was originally viridian, but the color detracted from the face.  When I got home, I added a cadmium red light wash to tone it down.  I like the compositions of the portraiture of Susanna Coffey, so I decided not to impose a traditional one here.

Summer Work: Week 3, Thursday

          
           At a long pose session at QAA, I used a different limited palette suggested by Giovanni.  It worked very well.  I also eliminated most medium, but needed some Liquin to allow the paint to be manipulated more smoothly with the palette knife.  According to Giovanni, paint doesn't need to be diluted.  It will lose its power and consistency with too much additives.  He feels that mediums are a crutch.  I used venetian red, yellow ochre, titanium white, terre verte, and ivory black.  I eliminated the ultramarine, except in the background.  Chris (also painting at the long pose session) suggested I add burnt sienna to the ultramarine for the purpose of toning it down.  He said the blue was competing with the figure.  He was correct!!  Ultramarine seems to be a fugitive color, not an earth tone; hence, it competes with the colors of the earth.


      

Summer Work: Week 3, Monday: Cylindrical Forms

           Giovanni wants me to paint still life set ups for awhile.  The cylinder is difficult for me, although I get the concept of its perspective.  I practiced with a mallet:

             It is a little messier in the photo than in real life-I think the flash contributed shine where there isn't in real life.  One day I'll figure out how to photograph my work properly.
  

                                                                                           

Summer Work: Week 2, Thursday: Wax, Not So Much

            Today I struggled with a wax medium during a 3 hour pose at Quincy Art Association:

           I like the composition and I created some depth, but I battled with the wax medium.  It began to dry up quickly, and I felt as though I was pushing dried candle wax around.  I guess that is the idea.  For some reason this didn't happen when I was in my basement working on the shoes (Summer Work: Week 2, Monday and Tuesday: Louboutin).  Perhaps this was a result of the climate in the classroom-fans and air conditioners, though the room never dropped below 82. The palette knife kept creating crevices in the paint, which resembled dings in a car.  Sometimes I felt as though I was taking off more paint than I was adding.  I still really enjoy using a wax medium, but I have to experiment with it more.

           I used a limited palette (venetian red, ultramarine, titanium, and yellow ochre).  I worked on wood panel tinted with an ivory black wash.

Summer Work: Week 2, Monday and Tuesday: Louboutin

              EXPERIMENT:  After strolling through Dick Blick, I decided to branch out and experiment with new materials.  I used a wood panel for support, which I liked, but need more practice using, and wax medium, which I loved.  Here is the result after a couple of hours:

              It isn't finished, but I think I am ready to move on to the next thing.  Obviously, the background needs work if I were to complete it.....

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the wax medium.  There is such a plethora of materials that I am overwhelmed!  Wax was suggested to me by artist, Victor, and Chris painted on a panel for a long pose.  Chris was using a bistre pigment and subtracting the light values with a cloth or brush and turpentine.  The result was sunning-a method I hope to attempt.