Well, it's back to Ryan. And boy has he got dirt on his face today. This is the stage where I play with colors and values, general placement of lines, and try to find the planes on the face. It looks pretty messy, but it's actually quite an exciting stage. It's the beginning of the puzzle, like when you get all the edge pieces in and now you can really start getting to work on the meat of the thing. Good times, good times.
Peek - A - Boo
HIs face is beginning to emerge. He has skin tones, though not enough yet. Some of his features are coming through. My problem is that whenever I stand back and look at him, I see my son. Am I seeing what isn't really there? Am I painting what I see subconsciously? Or am I just verifiably insane? We may never know.
Shape and Color
I heard my professor, Brian Hoover, say it 101 times and my own students hear me say it over and over again. There are only two things that can go wrong with a painting - shape and color. So the first thing I'm working on is creating a shape that will work. As I said, I am working from several different, very poor and very old references. If I were trying to create a generic person it would be one thing. But this is actually supposed to look like a particular person when I'm finished. So I have to be really careful about getting it right from the start.
Chubby Cherub
My beach cherub is getting chubby! I am really enjoying this painting. The flesh and fabric colors are very close, which makes it interesting. It forces me to really look at values, hard and soft lines, and all the elements that go into creating form. It is reminding me what great teachers I had in the art department at Southern Utah University.
Cheers!
While I thoroughly enjoy painting and easily get lost in it, there are some days that are easier and some that are harder. Today was a grueling day, as far as painting days go. I'm not really complaining. It was simply a lot of hours in one day, and a lot of working and reworking and building layers. But in the end, Grandma Ruby is now able to say to one and all, "Cheers!"
The Color Purple
Another session of painting fabric. Lots of subtle changes in value to create the suggestion of the form.
Seeing Is Believing
She now has eyes to see, and a mouth to speak, but still needs an ear or two to hear! Poor dear... Sometimes it gets frustrating, but for the most part it's fun and fascinating to watch the paint and colors move around here and there and everywhere until suddenly they are just right and the figure is looking back at me saying, "You found me!" Grandma Ruby isn't there yet, but she's wiggling her way out.
Feeling Blue...
I was able to get the background started... a lot of blue! It's exciting to get started and know the possibilities of what can be.
Goblet and Shells
Well, I forgot to photograph the initial sketch again. I just get too excited to start paining! I've enjoyed this short series of goblet paintings. It's been fun to search around the studio and find things to match up with the goblet. It's also been fascinating to see the similarities and differences in the reflections in the goblet as I pair it with different colored objects, as the light changes each day, and as I play with different background colors. It's been a great study in painting glass and playing with light.
Goblet and Eggs
I was determined to finish this one in a single sitting. It was hard, but I did it! I'm not sure I've ever done a true alla prima before. It was quite exciting. If I'd had more time I would have played with color a little more. But rather than fuss over it, I just moved on.
The composition is not the greatest either, but I can live with it. I would like to have moved the front egg farther to the right.
Additionally, I would like to have fine tuned and added more reflections in the glass of the goblet. There were so many plays of light and detail that I simply couldn't capture in the time I had.
All in all, however, I'm satisfied with the end result. It's a good exercise and it's keeping me on my toes.
K. Day 3
Values... The top of her face is in shadow, so I'm beginning to play with the values. The contrast is still too high and she needs more color in the rest of her face. But she's starting to come to life a little...
K. Day 2
Blocking in... I used the grid method to help me sketch the outline for K's face. The initial colors are quite like, but it gives me a place to start. I like to layer my colors so what goes on first is not necessarily, and very often not, the colors that will be there in the end. One of my favorite Brian Hoover quotes is, "There are only two things that can go wrong in a painting, either shape, or color". In fact, a few of us formed a group who painted outside of regular class hours and called ourselves the Paint and Color Club. Ahhhh... good times...
So while the initial color is not perfect, I'm working on shape and getting the foundation set so I build on it over time.
Stuck
I'm stuck on a painting. I'm under contract for the author of a children's book, so it's not a painting I can share visually. But I'm trying to do a sour face and struggling with the fact that he keeps looking either angry or constipated!
I've learned over the years that these are the problems that both make me crazy and make me love what I do. The struggle may not be fun, but once the puzzle is solved I am joyous. And that's what it is - a puzzle to be solved. What is that color combination, value adjustment, brush, stroke, or angle that I am missing that will suddenly make his face sing? Or pucker as the case may be...
In the end there is only one way to find the solution... Get back to the canvas...