Saturday, November 28, 2009

What I've been up to...


I haven't had time to paint lately because I had a table at a Fine Arts and Crafts Show over this weekend (at the Shania Twain Center) and it took me a couple of weeks to prepare for it. It was a great chance to meet the public again and get my paintings seen. I didn't sell any paintings but lots of reproductions, cards, calendars and hand-painted bookmarks. Now that this show is finished I can finish putting up Christmas decorations, hold a couple of Christmas parties, go to a few more parties and then get back to painting. So it will be a little break before I get back to posting painting progress. Thanks for being patient.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Contemplation Finished


I darkened the skin tones almost everywhere, added more defined values on the hands and feet without adding a lot of detail (I don't want them being the focus), and added a warm wash over the background. I'm calling this one finally finished this and I'll get it framed this afternoon.

Contemplation step 7


I have continued correcting values (darker and darker) and skin tones over the whole painting. Once the figure is correct, I'll go back and add a wash or two over the background.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Contemplation step 6


I finally got back to this after working nightshift all weekend and starting to prepare for a Christmas Craft Show next week.


I worked all around the painting darkening values again and I am finally getting close to the correct shades. Lots more work to be done especially on the hands and feet but it is getting closer.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Contemplation step 5


I continued to darken the darker values in the skin tones. I also tried a new technique to blend the areas in shadow into the background. I added a wash of warm brown to the background but extended it over the darker skin tones to make them fade into the background. I have to do a lot more work on the face yet, this is just a rough indications of features right now. And there are still lots of washes to go all over the body. I'll have to start working on the hands and feet as well.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Contemplation step 4


I darkened the background with another wash because I was having trouble getting the darks on the skin tones dark enough without the background to compare it to. The background will end up a warm brown at the end. I worked all over the sking tones gradually darkening them and starting to bring out the shapes.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Contemplation step 3


I have continued to work on the skin tones building up the darks. A long way to go yet to get the depth I want.

Contemplation step 2


I have started on the skin tones laying in the first washes.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Contemplation step 1


Our local art club (the Porcupine Art Club) is holding a show with the theme of nudes at the end of this month. The title of the show is Bare Arts II and we have all been asked to do two paintings for it. I have the one finished (Introspection - nude male) so I thought I would do a companion piece of a nude woman and call it Contemplation. The colour schemes are going to be similar. It is 10 x 7" to fit a frame I already have.


This is step one. I have drawn it out and put two glazes of colour on the background to start the process of making it receed and the figure pop out. I have discovered that a mix of Ultramarine Turquoise and Alizarin Crimson makes a lovely indigo colour that is non-staining and lifts. :) The first two washes are that although, in the second wash, I added a little quin gold to mute the blue a little.
I am hoping to get this done quickly (the deadline is two weeks) because I have an idea for another painting that needs to be done before the Christmas Craft Show in three weeks. Nothing like giving myself deadlines.


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Commission finished at last


Sorry about the length of time between posts the last little while. I have been really swamped between work and re-decorating my bedroom (a completely different kind of painting). This is finished as well as I am able with the photos supplied by the client. I hope she is satisfied with it.


Next, I am trialing an idea I had. If it works I'll post the experiment here and then start my next painting. I also have to get everything ready for a Christmas Fine Arts Show the end of the month. I have reproductions to print out, and maybe a few small paintings to do.