Here's "Erik", from my previous post, showing the sequence of the painting process. I first covered the canvass in a middle tone hue, and then started the highlight hues. Next came some dark tone hues followed up with some middle tone hues. Next I began bumping up the warm and cool colors, followed by lots of didling until I was satisfied with my colors and rendering of the facial features. Like I said in the previous post, I still haven't got this medium in my bones yet. I have only painted seriously in acrylic for about 4 years, but I do a lot of it and therefore am progressing apace.
This is great, David, to see your process with portraiture. Thank you for sharing it. The Golden Open Acrylics are more and more tempting. I like that you work quickly and have time to step back and analyze a bit. I wish oils were a bit faster as I, too, prefer to work and finish the thought, so to speak. My water mixable oils dry a little faster, but the pigments (lovely perfumes) cause some side effects. You've got me thinking of the Goldens.
ReplyDeleteMan, teeth are really hard to do without turning the portrait turning into a Halloween pumpkin, and you really did manage to do it right. So - where is this watercolor portrait workshop of yours?
ReplyDeleteMelinda: I like your wording: "finish the thought". That's exactly what i like to do. I know that you can do this in oil, but you really need to get your colors and brush strokes on target the very first go around.
ReplyDeleteNava: The trick with teeth is not to over define them...squint while you are looking at and painting teeth. My workshop is here in Sacramento at University Art.
ReplyDeleteMy trick with teeth is to close the mouth of the subject. A bit challenging with photo references. Time I got some nerve to face them, so thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteSacramento? That's not "here", but rather "there", alas.
Thanks for sharing the step by step on this one David.
ReplyDeleteLooks good.
Thanks, Frank.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight into the process, with the progression images. I think it's interesting that you changed the background from the ground to the blue, and finally the bright daylight of the finished work.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of thing I'd like to see in a "virtual open studio tour," because, when I go around to open studios, sometimes I'm able to see work in progress, in addition to the finished works the artist surrounds themselves with. (Which is always such an interesting set of images.) It's such a different perspective than the regular gallery fare.
David- love how you brought Eriks' face to fruition with just a few steps. Watching this evolve is just great.
ReplyDeleteLaughed big time at Navas' comments about teeth.
I thought the same thing ( mine seem to look Dracula like ) and she closes the mouth! Brilliant.
Well, maybe it's good to heed David's suggestion to not overemphasize them.
Fine job here- you've really captured the two faces so well.
Love these WIPs'.
Thank you.
Edgar: You are spot on about the virtual studio. Not only do I want to do some more step- by- steps, and I'm by no means the first to do this, but it is a great way to educate other buyers and fellow artists what goes behind making an art piece. I always appreciate seeing such things from fellow artists. I know Frank Gardner and Terri Miura are good at this. I have them in my Fav. Links section.
ReplyDeleteBonnie: Another thing about teeth is that being in the mouth, they rarely are hit by bright light so that when you paint them, make sure you key them down and do not paint them in blazing titanium white.
ReplyDeleteComrade Bonnie: Did you know that W.R. has confessed on his blog that he's a snow eating, Siberian commie (or some such appellation)?
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ReplyDeleteLove, love, love your portraits and the spontaneous looking results.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Deborah! Hey, thanks for dropping by. Isn't Karin Jurick a boffo painter! I like your pencil work. If you check just a few months back in my blog posts, I did some koi on colored woven paoer in Prismacolor.I was teaching a Rendering class at the time. A lot of patience goes into pencil art. but I guess you could say that about most all mediums. Keep up the great work and don't give up on acrylics!
ReplyDeleteDavid- thanks for the tooth tutorial.
ReplyDeleteWhite teeth, then, are only good in toothpaste commercials, otherwise, go for dingy! Got it.
PS- comrade David- did you beat a confession out of wr?
Bonnie: A man who has named his dog "Mango" is easily broken down! Proletariat acrylic painting artists of the world, arise!
ReplyDeleteit's interesting that you start with lights first, but clearly it works for you. Nice piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ed. You know, it must be that I'm an unrepentant watercolorist...light to dark kinda process. Actually, I don't think I was that bad in this. I covered the entire canvas first with the mid tone in Erik's face then worked around that with my lights and darks. The mid tone served as a marker post, in a manner of speaking, for my light and dark tones. I'm working on another portrait right now whereby I'm doing lights, mids, and darks at the same time. This is probably not the way to go about it, but I'm playing with the process. Pray for me, Ed! I'll be posting it sometime next week.
ReplyDeleteVery, very interesting. I like your step-by-step illustration.
ReplyDeletePaz
Thanks for dropping by, Paz. Give my regards to Broadway and the Big Apple pigeons.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see it coming to life. Thanks for sharing the process. warm wishes,
ReplyDeleteHey, Indiaartist, thanks for dropping by!
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! I am thoroughly impressed!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Theresa. I hoping to post two watercolor and one acrylic portraits next wk.
ReplyDelete