Kalf’s Lost Lemon Willem Kalf: detail from “Still Life with Lobster, Drinking Horn and Glasses” Oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches, 1653For a moment, it was heart-breaking. I could tell that the ghostly lemon had once been a wonder – perfectly shaped, no doubt with vibrant color and exquisite detail. Yet, it […]
I’d like to describe in depth for you the process I use to make most of my paintings, like the one above.This is simply a description of my own working methods. It is not meant to document the techniques of other painters. Nor is it an argument for using this process. There are many ways […]
“Teacup and Teapot”, oil on panel, 5×6 inches, 2008 (sold)Artists who paint like this often talk about creating a sense of “lost and found”. This refers to what happens at the edges of the objects and where shadows begin. Rather than creating a clear silhouette all around an object, an artist might choose to have […]
Many artists – even established professionals – have an uneasy relationship with perspective. That’s understandable, given how involved it can be to figure out, say, the proper perspective of a complicated geometric shape with multiple vanishing points. It’s good, and I think necessary, to know how to do this. But, in the real world, I […]
The Grisaille The Simplest Form of Underpainting A completed grisaille for a larger paintingUnderpaintings are monochromatic versions of the painting, over which the final color layer will eventually be applied. It’s an intermediate step in the Flemish technique (which is the basis for the process I follow), that is done after the drawing and before […]
How did you do that? From time to time I’ll get a nice compliment about how I paint metal. This is often followed up with questions about how I do it. Unfortunately, there’s not a simple secret that I can reveal. I approach metal the same way I approach any other type of object: Observe […]
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 […]
The Ébauche A Type of Underpainting Using Muted Colors The ébauche for this painting is complete and drying.”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, […]
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 […]
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 […]