Painting Progress

More progress on this ugly duckling! It's starting to show form and light now. I spent a few hours one night on the face and mask (picture above,) and then last night I did the hair, neck, and started to move down the body stopping near the waist (below).

Apparently, this little animation won't work until you click on the image to view it. I didn't take the time to make sure all the images were exactly the same size and perfectly aligned, but it's fun none-the-less.

Lady with an Apple, Completed

"Mala"
Oil on Panel, 12" x 9"

I actually started this post yesterday, and finished the painting the day before, just after my last post. The delay in posting was because I was settling on an appropriate title. At first, I couldn't think of much other than "The Apple" or "Lady with an Apple." Everything else I thought of that might have to do with Eve, the Apple of Discord, or temptation just didn't seem to fit. I was typing that I wished I could think of a better title, when I got an idea and started to do a little looking through my good old Harper Collins Latin Concise dictionary. I found some very interesting coincidences, and thus a title with layers of meaning that just happen to perfectly suit the subject. A gold star for anyone who figures it out!


Anyway, I am very pleased with this little painting. I had fun with the different textures in the fabric and apple. If anyone is wondering or can't quite tell from the picture, I used ochre for the background and saved the metallics for another day.

Lady with an Apple, Lace Panel

I'm so happy that the lace panel on the shirt seems to have come out nicely that I had to blog it! I really get a kick out of painting interesting fabrics, especially those that are in some way transparent or have embroidery. Lace has a little of both! Also finished the hand, shadows on the face and the hair last night. Now just the apple, shirt, and background to go. Even though those areas take up the most space on the panel, they will go faster because they have less intricate details than the face, lace, and hair.

Lady with an Apple, Continued

I should be able to finish this one up in just a couple more sessions; It's another one that just flows right off the brushes for me. In the background you can see that I am toying with the use of metallics. I've been quite interested in using metallics and possibly gold leaf on my paintings for quite some time now, but I am not sure this is the time or the right painting. The ochre seems to suit the painting better.

In late February, I will have a show opening at Strecker-Nelson on Manhattan, KS. More info on that to come soon...

Ugly Duckling

I've titled this post (NOT the painting!) 'Ugly Duckling' because this painting will go through quite a transformation before it's completed. This is on a 36" x 24" canvas, which is large compared to what I have been working on lately. I am not fond of the feeling of a brush against acrylic ground, so I wanted to get this stage over with as quickly as possible and was impatient to get the canvas filled in with paint. Though I was fairly patient and accurate with the drawing stage (above) I wasn't so careful when it came time to add some color.

The above image is from the end of the first session. The previous picture was half way through. I used burnt umber to draw everything in and add some shading on the figure, and then set the background and mask with black. This will help me judge the values in the next step. You can also see where I used lines that follow the form of the stomach to help me place the navel, and if you look really carefully you can see that I divided the canvas into quarters before I began. I do that to ensure the figure is positioned correctly.

This blurry photo was taken a little ways through the second session. I started by filling in the reds of the headdress. Then, I redefined some of the shadows on the figure and used an earth red to mark both warm areas and planes that just begin to tilt away from the light source.

This was taken at the end of the second session. It was late, and at some point I became weary of getting accurate values and simply wanted to fill all that white space in. (In other words, this layer is totally inaccurate and barely more than a mess of colors!) However, I knew better than to take this approach late at night in such small, important areas like the hands and eyes. So I left them for another day, when I will be refreshed and diligent once again.

Facade - The Finale

"Facade"
Oil on ABS 20" x 16"

All she needs is to dry, get a signature, and be varnished. Sounds like a lot left to do while I'm calling it done, huh? Other paintings are in progress. I will return.

Facade - On the Verge of Completion

Now that I have these posted, I can see that they are destaurated in comparison to the real thing. I often forget how images seem to lose saturation after they leave Photoshop. Ah well, enough with the excuses. (Did I mention there is also a lot of glare again?)

This is so very close to done now! The blue and speckled feathers are pretty much finished, and the foundation has been set for those long tendrils on the peacock feathers. When it's dry, I will carefully paint the individual strands and some highlights on the 'eye' of the feathers. Peacock feathers are interesting in that they are not the color they appear, but rather the structure of the feather itself reflects light in such a way that it appears to have those rich hues.

The background also needs another coat and then a signature, but that's not a major undertaking with this simple background. The next post about this painting should see it completed.

Facade - Hands and Face

For the most part I am finished with the figure in this painting. I still need to work on the mask, finish the hair, and fill in the rest of and then put a second layer on the background. While I am doing this I don't doubt that I will tweak some of the flesh tones.

Above it the painting in its current state, with details below. There is some glare especially on her jaw and left upper arm. Thank you to everyone who has commented on this one so far; I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Facade - The Torso

Finally, a solid evening of work! I am actually very happy with this layer on the torso. I see a couple things I could improve, but they aren't major. Mainly I want to soften the receding shadow area above the front facing breast.

One of the challenges of this painting is going to be waiting for the background to dry. I have a stripe going down the right side that hasn't been painted yet so that I can grab the panel and move it around while I am waiting.

In and Out of Commission

Unfortunately, I have spent the first week of the new year in and out of commission (mostly out.) I caught a cold, and I really hate being sick! During that time I did manage to paint another layer on this hand and arm. No, it's not much, but my health is returning and that will help!