Catching up
Still catching up in the studio following last weekend’s show. This one is about halfway there. It will be a hard push to finish it by Tuesday evening, and then on to the current week’s painting.
Still catching up in the studio following last weekend’s show. This one is about halfway there. It will be a hard push to finish it by Tuesday evening, and then on to the current week’s painting.
This commissioned painting is framed and ready for delivery. I gave the collectors several options for the frame, and was excited that they chose this one. It was my choice as well. It’s a gold leaf frame, about 2.5 inches wide, with some simple Arts and Crafts – inspired detailing at the corners. I think […]
Keeping it Beautiful at Every Step Sometimes a minor shortcoming can illustrate a larger point. The image above is the completed underpainting for this week’s project. One thing you might notice is that the tones get cooler and bluer towards the bottom. As I got to the end of the working day, I ran out […]
The second step (after the drawing) for this week’s painting is complete. It’s a straightforward grisaille (gray painting) – probably the most common form of underpainting – using only Mars Black and Lead White. These are quick drying paints – an important consideration since I’m on a tight schedule with these weekly paintings. Ideally it […]
Most of my recent paintings have been in either a square or horizontal (landscape) format. This week I’m working with a composition that’s strongly vertical, and will be painting on a 14×11 inch panel. The video above shows the model I’m working from and discusses transferring the image to the panel. Once I’ve made a […]
“Ébauche” is a french word meaning draft or first pass, and it refers to a specific type of underpainting. Rather than using black and white, as is the case with a grisaille underpainting, an ébauche uses color. However, it’s not the full, saturated color of the final painting. Instead, it tends to be desaturated – […]
As I get this week’s painting underway, I thought I’d mention the humble thumbnail sketch. After setting up the model, it’s usually the very first piece of active work on the path to the final painting. The thumbnail is just a small, rough drawing that I use to establish the composition. It’s only purpose is […]
My Current Easel Arrangement Up until about 6 months ago, most of my work incorporated photography as at least part of the reference material. The current setup of my easel reflects that practice. Immediately to the right of it, I have a computer monitor where I’d display photographs I was working from. To the […]
At this point the painting is basically complete. A few details need to be tightened up and several colors need to be strengthened. In particular I want to pay more attention to the reflections in the silver creamer. I’ll also restate some of the colors in the lemon – it should have a greater saturation […]
With a fully worked out underpainting in place, the color layer usually goes quite smoothly. Often it’s simply a matter of glazing (very thin layers of transparent paint) with the local color and then adjusting details. This was the case with the pomegranate, where I glazed the shadows with a dark transparent crimson. I then […]
Approaching the Underpainting Last night I completed the underpainting for this week’s project. Different artists have different goals for using underpaintings, and use a variety of approaches. It’s usually an opportunity to work out the composition and the values without worrying about color or detail. Basically its’ a very simplified first pass in black and […]
Today I’m starting my year-long project to make one new larger painting each week. I have several items still in my studio from the large commission painting I finished a few days ago, and I like the way they look together, so I’m using them for the basis of this week’s painting. I’ve done a […]
This commission is complete, framed, and ready for delivery. I can’t wait to get this into the collectors’ hands; it’s been an honor and a pleasure to do this painting for them.
This week I began a new commissioned painting to finish up the year. The family who’s requested it had several specific themes and items they wanted in it. After a few discussions and some sketches passed back and forth, we agreed on a basic composition, as seen in this small thumbnail sketch: I’ll be doing […]
At this point, the painting is largely complete. All that remains are a few details and touch-ups. These are largely concerned with harmonizing all the parts of the painting together. Once that’s done, the painting will be finished.
At this point, the central objects in the painting are complete. All that remains is the yellow cloth and the black credenza they rest on.
Work is progressing on this painting. I’ve completed the cut glass vase, and am well on the way to completing the silver pitcher.
Things are coming along with this commissioned painting. At this point, the flower is completed, and I’ve begun work on some of the metal – the silver pitcher and the bronze Thai silverware.
The star of this painting is going to be a vibrant red day lily from the collectors’ garden. It will sit in the large silver pitcher for a dramatic centerpiece. Obviously, day lilies don’t last long, so I needed to take some careful photos of it, and I also made a few color studies. Below […]
I’m excited to be starting on a new commissioned painting. It’s requested by a couple that wanted to feature items that were important to their family life. I recently visited their home so we could discuss the painting. We worked out the items they wanted included, as well as the composition. The image above shows […]