2-Session Demo Overview
^ We put together a simple pose utilizing a simple costume and prop. Pose duration was a total of 7 hours over 2 sessions.
^ Stage 1: First 20 minutes of work.
Notice how little it seems I accomplished in the first 20.
This approach is different from doing a long pose or 3 hour session, as I worked much more slowly and directly with shapes in monochromatic paint. The focus is on the WHOLE image rather than parts. This is an element that is often a struggle and often unconsidered when doing simple portrait sketches, as so much interest naturally goes to the face.
Once I got in some rough relationships into my picture plane, THEN I measured to check how everything related. In measuring, I found that his torso was much shorter than I had indicated, so that helped me adjust his head size, shoulder width, and torso to the correct proportions with each other and to the helm (wheel).
I am using raw umber and Gomsol to thin and adjust the paint shapes. My focus is on creating large shapes that are proportionally accurate to one another. Giving attention to the WHOLE picture plane without emphasis on any singular thing. This helps me get a general sense of composition.
^ Stage 2: Next 30 minutes of work.
Refinement of the large shapes is the emphasis here.
All of this depends on strong drawing skills.
After making some comparative measurements between different heights and widths, I decided that the shapes were close enough to begin refining more. Notice that the torso is now shorter and there is still no features to the face. I have added in a bit more value range to show the darkest areas in contrast with mid-value ones.
I had some surface issues (with my dry under layer coming off). This is most evident in the halo (drawing corrections) and the awkward fingers of the lower hand.
^ Stage 3: ~20 minutes of work
Now that the “big picture” felt good, I could spend some time putting in the features of Gary’s face. I added in thinned down paint to map them out, and used q-tips to pull out the paint in the lightest areas. I did not express the eyes too much, as they were in shadow and out of focus in terms of the larger visual effect.
^ Stage 4: Final 60 minutes
Now I can work my way back through everything, spending time in each area to refine it more. I darkened the darkest areas, and added in some white paint to bring out lighter areas. Since I will spend the next session working in color, my goal here is to provide the clearest sense of relationships that I can rely on in the second session.
The wheel still needed some work, but I planned on repainting that in between our sessions. I improved the lower hand by re-focusing on the larger planar relationships. The upper hand got shadow indications along the fingers but remained simplified and connected with light through the upper parts closer to the knuckles.
^ Session 2 full color painting.
Notice how I kept to my underdrawing for most of it! In this image the color painting of Gary is dry, and I have returned to finish the wheel (from life). Unfortunately I did not get any in between stages for this round. However I can offer my recurring mantra:
1. Mix up a few general colors to start with, from observation, so you have some paint to work with on your palette.
2. PUT THE SHADOWS IN FIRST!!! THINLY!!! SIMPLY!!! Without getting all carried away with various beautiful tones, colors, and reflected lights you can see within them. You can always add them later. Now is not the time! Keep your shadow colors simple - the edges and shapes can be as complicated as you want, but they must feel simple, restful; a graphic connecting force for the whole painting.
^ After the session, adding background.
Main idea to notice here is I begin with a transparent layer of colored paint that touches or overlaps all areas of dry paint. I used a small amount of thinner + linseed oil to create a colored “couch” that can wet the surface and provide a unifying starting color to work within.
^ Sorting out lights and darks
Here you can see that I am simply trying to find a nice shape and color arrangement to go with my subject. Still working semi-transparently.
^ Snapshot of finished painting.
Main idea to consider is that although I am not under any type of time pressure with the background, it needs to feel cohesive with the subject. Therefore it was important that it was painted quickly and that all the wet edges felt integrated with the dry edges. For this painting, I did not attempt to refine the figure further, in order to maintain a fresher, alla prima sense to the whole image..