One Step at a Time

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I make it a point to practice drawing from live models once or twice a week. The adage, "if you don't use it you'll lose it" is so true with drawing and painting. Frequency is the key to maintaining skill level and dexterity.

For me, drawing and painting aren't that different in approach. I took progress photos using my phone every 20 minutes during this portrait to document my approach. (See image below).

The first 20 minutes is the most crucial. I look for a comfortable placement of the head on the paper. I'm working a linear approach at this stage. The big shapes are laid out: head shape silhouette, division of hair vs. face, placement of features in correct proportions, etc.

Since I'm working from a living breathing being, I know when the model comes back from a break the pose will be close (with some direction) but will never be the same. Hair will change, fabric folds will always change, the model may make slight adjustments to make themselves more comfortable as he or she settles into the pose. If I don't get this first stage down and locked in during the first sitting, I'll be chasing the drawing for the rest of the session.

Second, 20 minutes is simply separating light vs. shadow shapes. At this stage, I transition from using the line to a tonal approach. No different than painting. It's about laying down big areas of value and getting the value relationships to read correctly. I even start to indicate lighter values with white charcoal. I'm using a terra cotta colored pastel pencil on tan paper by the way.

Third 20, is about refining value shapes, building lights & highlights as well as building texture in the hair.

Final 20 minutes, boy does that last 20 go quickly! Refinement and polishing are the objectives until the model timer rings. Don't forget a signature!

Medium: Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencil & General's Charcoal White

Paper: Strathmore Toned Tan

Dimensions: 11x14 inches

What's your plan? Part 2

Picking up from last weeks post - Another popular method among plein air painters as well as studio artists is to develop the entire painting all at once. The artist tries to mix the best average value and color temperature for each shape in the scene then progresses onto giving each shape more recognizable three-dimensional forms. This method allows the artist to monitor the painting as a whole and can make mistakes easier to catch and correct early on.

The grisaille has been an approach that has stood up over the centuries. It allows the artist to fully separate value from color by first completing a painting in monotone. Typically, this tonal underpainting is left to dry fully. Then the addition of color is applied in opaque or transparent layers over the corresponding values already mapped out by the underpainting. This method does add one more step to the process and may not be the optimal choice in fleeting light situations.

Since there isn't a single best or any hard fast rules here, you can combine different approaches if you wish. The important thing is to have a plan before laying paint to canvas. Your strategy choice should reflect the working scenario presented and what makes sense to you at the time.  

Eat, Drink, Draw.

Drawing should be part of every artist's routine. The subject matter is less important than the act itself. An honest representational approach will be a better gauge of progress than that of the abstract.

Medium: Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencil & General's Charcoal White
Paper: Strathmore Toned Tan
Dimensions: 11x14 inches

Is Red Rock Red?

One of my first attempt studies in painting red rock. This subject was so new to me being an east coast artist. I'm very familiar with dark, slick moss covered river stone and the jagged rocks of the New England coast.

Sedona red rock offered a few challenges. One being, trying to understand the forms and structure of the rocks themselves. Secondly, what color was I actually seeing? Just because it's called "red rock" doesn't mean I can apply a brush full of red straight from the tube and expect it to look correct in the painting.

In this scene, the "red" was more orange in color. A yellow-orange in the light and a darker more burnt sienna color in shadow. Using tiny amounts of blue, blue-violets and white helped desaturate the yellow-orange rock in light. Similar blue-violet mixes (excluding white) were used to make the rock in shadows the correct value and saturation.

Depending on the ratio, mixing the complements blue and orange can result in Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna-like colors. For this reason, I don't always bother carrying or laying out burnt sienna on my palette. It's just too easy to mix from scratch.

Title: Sedona Courthouse Butte
Painted on: SourceTek oil primed linen
Medium: Oil
Dimensions: 6x8 inches
Status: Available

Variety = Interest

Variety keeps the viewer's interest. In this 3-hour portrait study, I'm playing with that idea. Careful drawing is important to achieve a likeness regardless of subject. Once correct measurements have been noted it is then the relationships of value, color, edges and texture that can make a static object or pose more interesting and a subject in motion exceptional.

Close-up example of hard and soft edges. Values are organized by light, medium and dark shapes. There are temperature shifts of warms and cools within each value family. Thicker applications of light against thinly applied shadows.

Representational becomes more abstract the closer one gets to the painting.

Utilizing both brush and palette knife to break any monotony in the application of paint.

Challenge yourself to find new ways to create more interest in your paintings.

Title: Turquoise Shirt 

Painted on: Student grade canvas board

Medium: Oil

Dimensions: 9x12 inches

Status: Available

Colorful Life - SOLD

The above image is from another recent plein air event that I participated in. This time in Casa Grande, AZ which is about a half hour south of Phoenix. I sat in the open hatchback of my vehicle to paint. My car provided temporary shade but didn't help much when the day's temperature heated up.

My choice in the subject matter may not always be the most obvious. Something like a note of color, a particular type of light, a pattern of shapes or maybe an object with a touch of humor/personality can catch my eye. Here it was a little mailbox painted magenta that made me say to myself, "Oh, I have to paint that!"   

Because the mailbox was such a unique color within the scene, I had to find ways to sprinkle it about to create a better color harmony overall. I added bits of magenta to areas in the roadway, buildings, and palm tree. If I didn't, the mailbox color would be disconnected from the surrounding color and would attract too much attention.

Color contrast is one of the many ways to create a focal point. However, it's the value contrast of the sun glare reflecting off the back of the stop sign framed by the darker tree shapes that sets up the primary focal point. The stop sign is the tool to get you to discover the colorful mailbox.

This painting now hangs happily inside the house of the magenta mailbox.

Title: Colorful Life

Painted on: RayMar Archival Panel

Medium: Artist Grade Acrylic

Dimensions: 12x12 inches

Composing the Urban Landscape

Occasionally, I like to challenge myself by entering plein air competitions. The painting above titled 'Northview' is a result of a local one-day event that was held in Glendale, AZ. Producing a frame ready painting within a restricted time limit is the actual challenge of these events. In this case a 16x20 inch in about a 3 hour period.

Naturally, the desert has been my main source of inspiration since relocating to the southwest. An urban setting like this was a nice change of pace and reminded me of subject matter that I would frequently paint out on the east coast.

What attracted me to this particular scene is the strong verticals of the lamppost, telephone poles and street sign. Making this an ideal reverse "L" compositional design. Example below:

The elbow of the reverse "L" creates a natural sweet spot to place the focal point. The dark patch of grass to the left of the white structure attracts more attention to the focal area by contrasting values; light against dark. The foreground shadow shapes and property walls create radiating lines pointing directly to the focal point. Example below:

Title: Northview
Painted on: Fredrix Archival Canvas Panel.
Medium: Artist quality oil.
Dimensions: 16x20 inches.
Status: Available.