Third Session with portrait- Ava Dawn...12"x 9" oil on linen

Difficult being satisfied with just the right adjustments on photoshop to get every color and value right here.  Might have to retake photo of work outside, but it is fairly close...

I tweaked anatomy...pushed values and color, worked on hair, added a barrette, worked on garment...and believe I'm very near finishing...at least in concept and aim where I wanted enough sense of realism in an abstract environment...which I think I have accomplished.  This is a gift for my wife...as we add to a wall of her painting that of her grandchildren.  We will add more paintings of course as the vision of our own son's expand.  Hee heee..  Three or four years, and it will be Addison's turn... 8^)

This is Jason and Kat's younger daughter...just a beautiful spirited little girl, who loves to dance!!!

Finished...Jason... 9"x 6" gouache

 

Fun piece...what can I say.  I know so many

very fine artists have painted my son, and

hope I did some justice here myself

Jason, is very well known in the illustration 

and high end caricature world...winner of 

numerous & deservingawards.  If you are 

not familiar with Jason'swork...you've got 

to vist his blog!!!  Follow this link-

Funny Because its True!!

Here is a closeup of the tattoos...and wow,

that was some work!!

 

Finished tonight...Tim & Connie...gouache, 8"x 8"

Might have a touch here and there as I look
at this, but tired..and need to get off to bed...
Done for now...

First attempt doing a portrait using gouache, friends Tim & Connie...8"x 8"

Gearing up to build an itinerary for some possible 

online teaching offerings & opportunity, and my son 

Jason advised I demonstrate my principles apply to 

painting in general, not just my preference for painting

the landscape or outdoor subject.  So, thought I'd do a 

few portraits perhaps.  Of course anyone familiar with

my blog knows my painting interest revolves around

a fascination for light...and thus many subjects, though

my sense of celebration when painting comes from

painting outdoors.

This is my first attempt using gouache to paint
portraits...which I think I'll find interesting.

Started this one tonight of our friends Tim and Connie
...8"x 8" in size.

Began with mixing up a grayish neutral using casein
then proceeding over the top of that.  So, a beginning
here.  You can see the block-in of Connie starts with
shadows and light revealing the planes of the face,
and this is how Tim began...as well, so you see
something of where it starts...and where it goes.

I did not begin with a drawing, but just squinted my
eyes and seeing shapes, values, color...and start
right in painting.

Here a closeup of Tim's face thus far-

...by the way, in case of curiosity...no black pigment
was used.  My dark here is mixed using Prussian blue,
Alizarin Crimson, and a touch of Ice blue...(all Holbein)

Ava Dawn...Session 2...oil 12"x 9"

Scraped first session away of portrait this morning...
and repainted ending session two-

Granddaughter Ava Dawn...to complete the set (for now)

With the painting of my first grand daughter Isabeau
and now my wife's portrait completed, its time to turn
attention to the younger grand daughter, Ava Dawn Seiler

The method begins much the same, as an alla prima effort
in one session...and then the portrait scraped out the
next morning, leaving a film residue, very nice flesh
qualities slowly built up layer by layer.

I started by blocking in a midvalue flesh tone for the
face/flesh...then mixed up lights and darks painting
directly into the wet midvalue. Sargent used this method
and described painting the eyes a bit like drop a poached
egg into its socket. The eyes very naturally emerge
using this procedure.

blocking in...midvalues-























and the alla prima finish to the first session...
rendering form with color and values-

Finished...at last! 28"x 22" oil of my wife...from back when

A bit of softening of the hair, breaking some lines and
edges...and I believe this one is done! Just need the
appropriate frame now.

Sixth Session...Portrait of my Wife...28"x 22" oil

Tonight brought the painting much nearer to a finish, and perhaps my most radical additions or alterations thus far. In truth...the painting was bothering me a bit with what felt too classic and stagnant as a background, and so I interjected some brushwork, color and value to what I think excites the painting more...pulls her into the environment and unifies the work. By making the background lighter nearer to her right eye, I was able to darken the hair and hat to create more depth illusion, well...IMO... Worked more on the hair, the shoulder and arm. Still think I have some work to do on the hair, but it needs (with the help of my copal medium) to tack up and dry some.

A closeup...and as always, clicking on the images brings up a larger image view...

Continuing on with my wife's oil portrait... 28"x 22"

Its been a couple months, a number of paintings, the
great Wisconsin deer hunt come and gone...and decided
its high and time I work on finishing this painting.

Worked on flesh color/tones tonight, the hat, the
shirt...some on hair. Think perhaps next session may
well come close to finishing...emphasis to be on hair
and background...

Oil Portrait of my wife...our early years.

28"x 22" oil on board...

I've been working on a portrait involving scraping back the
flesh next day after painting, which leaves a film residue.
You keep repainting and rescraping back to slowly build a
quality into the flesh that glows and appears more flawless,
then upon the last repaint session, you apply finishing touches
that give the work an appearance of alla prima, a fresh and
spontaneous look.

Things I've been learning from "Painting Methods of the
Impressionists" by Bernard Dunstan...attributed methods of
Sargent, Degas, Manet, Cassatt and Whistler...

This close up of the face represents the 4th repaint...and I'm
happy with the way it is progressing, and will let this one
remain without a fifth scrape back. I'll post the whole work
when finished...












Note the steps of each repaint...to paint a midvalue flesh color
and block in the face area, then painting the darks and lights
directly into the midvalue wet into wet...
click on images to see larger...


With some of the questions people have, I'll explain this process a
bit more, and I DO NOT claim to be an expert of this. It is something
I am building some familiarity and expertise with by experimenting.

My fortee has been painting outdoor subjects, landscapes, wildlife
but I have done my share of "sporting portraits" over the years.

Follow that link to see a blog I only share with folks interested in that
aspect of my artistic offerings.

But...the basic alla prima approach can be demonstrated by my
showing a composite of my own self-portrait. That which can be done
in one sitting...(ie., "alla prima")-






















A few lines to suggest the head, a mix of a midvalue color
for the face blocked in...and darks and lights painted
wet in wet to finish. This as I read was one of Sargent's
common alla prima method.

Reading Bernard Dunstan's book, "Painting Methods of the
Impressionists" I discovered that Sargent would apply such
wonderful finishing alla prima-like touches of paint, that
no one would guess it to have been labored and wrestled with,
keeping that fresh spontaneity. There is the genius and
mastery IMO...

The scraping back was a common practice, as I found utlized
by Cassatt...at times Degas, Whistler...and Sargent. Each
scraping back allows a residue of what was painted to build
into a lovely rendering of color. As the face builds thru
this scraping back, you then more judiciously decide what to
add paint to in future sessions, less and less until the final
alla prima-like finishing touches.

Here...you see my wife's portrait after its third scraping,
and you can see that the residue of paint film left behind
is revealing the building up of a portrait. Imagine then a
good six or eight such repaint sessions and how you can
eventually paint more transparently...or judiciously, leading
up to an ideal quality of the skin-























The painting I did of my grand daughter, Isabeau...has a half-
dozen separate scrape backs-






















Now...agree with what has been written or not, how I am
interpreting the description of the process...I am finding this
to be a no brainer way to eventually arrive at the ideal and
lovely portrait. The flesh appears to glow...and the final
strokes of paint you leave are not incidental or accidental,
but intended. Appearing quite fresh and spontaneous.

But...I must be honest and report that psychologically, this
is brutal. Most difficult to commit to painting with such
great effort each time aiming to improve and do even better
knowing you will be scraping it out. For me, I waited 'til
the next morning. It was painful...but, after several sessions
you begin to see what comes and it becomes consoling and
encouraging.

As for the depiction of men...the less than ideal flesh tone,
surface texture, the blemish free feminine quality..is not
necessary. Painting the effects of gravity, a rough life on
the face is fun...and requires less doctoring and attention.
So...from what I read, less scraping back was required.
However with regard to fine ladies, young children and so
forth...the flawlessness and purity of the flesh is one of the
finer details the portrait must capture.

Body Painting - Portrait of Marilyn Monroe

Photo of Portrait Body Painting of Marilyn Monroe. The model's nipples are cleverly paint over with golden earrings by the artist. Great earrings.



Related posts:
* Body painting - Mona Lisa
* Body painting - Obama - Brazilian Carnival
* Body Painting - Face

Body Painting - Portrait of Marilyn Monroe

Photo of Portrait Body Painting of Marilyn Monroe. The model's nipples are cleverly paint over with golden earrings by the artist. Great earrings.



Related posts:
* Body painting - Mona Lisa
* Body painting - Obama - Brazilian Carnival
* Body Painting - Face

Reworking the Self-Portrait...12"x 9" oil

Some paint still fresh on my palette from finishing up my grand daughter, so...decided to play more with the self-portrait, get the proportions a bit more correct, a bit more color. Scraped dried paint down first...

Finished...Beau...12"x 9" oil

Taking my artist/son Jason's critique to heart, and his
reminder of a method I often teach my students to flip
my painting and reference upside down to get a fresh
perspective to judge (plus it diffuses the left brain),
and his reminder of a quote I love of Sargent when he
said, "a portrait is where something is wrong with the
mouth!" I gave this painting one last good hard look.

Seeing it upside easily helped me see where a few
touches and adjustments were necessary...

Here you see a closeup...that chaotic laying on of
paint we often come away from seeing painters work
real close...

A comment came up inquiring to my thoughts as to
where the color's influence to the rendering of form
stood prominent acquiring the appearance of the
flesh tone in my working of Beau (?) thinking much
was accomplished by color more so than values.

You know...to my thinking, even the gray black
and white version here looks pretty good, which is
often a standard to judge if a painting holds well,
even so...not a lot of value variation is required in
the face to read believable.

In fact looking at such works as Sargent's "Lady
Agnew" or Mary Cassatt's painting of the bath...
converting the work to grayscale would show what
might seem little influence of value variation...
though color itself is playing a good part.

Perhaps such is a way to control unwanted blemishes
or things attributed to the appearance of aging...
something then that suggests well the fairness of a
lady's flesh or that of a child. In converting my own
work of Beau here to grayscale...you see how little
variation in values there really is letting you know
that color was more behind the rendering of form.

Here is Cassatt's work for comparison-

Study of Scraping back...oil of my grand daughter Isabeau

Playing a bit more with some techniques of the
masters, Manet, Cassatt, and Sargent...where
often sessions of painting the face were scraped
back, often frustrating the sitter for posing for
lengths of time seeing the artist literally scrape
the portrait off.

Thing is...each time scraped back, a ghost of a
film of paint is left from that session. The
result of several scrape backs...or more, is that
a particular quality is built up that more ideally
suited the representation of the flesh appearance
these master painters wanted. I'm playing with
this idea to see what that practice might lead to.

What will be most difficult for me is my ability
to paint quickly in an alla prima style, meaning
I would incline to some impatience waiting for
something I believe I have the skill to just paint'
right away. That is not to say I couldn't work on
other work while this one is going thru this
process. So, if you are following along on this
one, take up a seat.

This is my grand daughter, Isabeau, or whom we
affectionately call "Beau"...so cute, the older of
two little girls now that my son Jason and his
wife Kat have-

She is five now...this picture she was probably
four years of age...






















Mary Cassatt was a master of painting women and
children...and this one is a lovely example...























Here was my initial sketch placing a few gestural
charcoal vine stick marks to place the portrait-






















My son Jason and I were chatting a bit, his really
fine work and the fine work of many master painters
relying on drafting a good accurate drawing, or a
"mock" onto the canvas, panel...and then paint layers
built up into that. I certainly agree many masters
worked that way.

Many masters also as teachers taught that the danger
is painting up to the lines leaving a stiff image that
comes off feeling filled in. The secret being to paint
thru the lines, not up to them, blending into the
background.

I am one comfortable with many years of drawing as
a foundation, tending to feel that drawing is drawing
with a whole other tactile feel, and that painting is
painting. The idea being to see in terms of spatial
relationships, masses...value and color. Its not that one
way is right over the other, but suits different
personalities and working methods one develops.

Publish Post

You see that I did begin with some charcoal vine marks
above, other times I simply use turps and a hog bristle
round and sketch a few gestural marks. Still, using the
midvalue flesh tone block-in that Sargent demonstrated
you see that any drafting of a drawing is consumed by
the paint-






















Tomorrow back in my art room, I'll scrape this paint
block-in down...then repaint, and work darker and
lighter values in. I'll plan on scraping that back
as well, and we'll just see how this one progresses.

Should be interesting and instructive for myself as
well as anyone else.

Alla Prima Self-Portrait...using a Sargent approach

I've been pretty hyped up reading thru my various
painting methods books, particularly on Sargent
and his scraping back practice on portraits sometimes
to fix errors...but frequently to create a film stain
that works its way into the ground, and then other
subsequent scrapings to build up a particular quality
in the flesh tones.

Sargent was known to also demonstrate his alla prima
methods to art students as well, though he wasn't
particularly fond of teaching being shy and not too
articulate.

One method he taught was blocking the portrait face
in with a midvalue flesh tone...and then painting the
darker values/color and lighter directly into the wet
paint or wet into wet.

Now...this reminded me of a method I use to paint
plein air landscapes which I call the midgray neutral
mud palette. A version of the pigment soup or mother
color approach.

Thinking the portrait much as a landscape of the face,
reading about Sargent's midvalue flesh tone suddenly
clicked in my mind...and I had to paint a study. To
this end...I simply grabbed a picture my wife took of
me having returned successful from an outdoor venture.

I grabbed a 12"x 9" panel...and below spells out the
steps...























I drafted a few gestural lines for the portrait, then
using Indian Yellow and French Ultramarine Blue, applied
a nice dark to the background. My son Jason, let me
in on just how nice of a black Indian Yellow and the
blue make, and he was right...quite luscious!!!

I mixed up my midgray flesh tone, which is the color
seen to the far right here-

















Then painted in the whole of the portrait as I read
Sargent would do-
























Next, I mixed up a palette of color/values to paint
wet into wet and complete this portrait-













I begin to paint darker values, some lighter and
bit by bit feel my way around the landscape of the
face...























farther along-






















and finished, here is a closeup of the face-

Framed...Tim's Monster Whitetail

Wow...that was fast, my frame arrived shipped today,
and this should give some idea just how much a frame
can add to the look of a painting. Frames and putting
them on paintings is a bit like experiencing Christmas
for an artist! How fun...

Think I'm Close...er, Got it!

With the reference photo I have, I believe I have
improved the painting from the original, and am
closer. I don't know if its my nature to not be
110% satisfied, or believing I could yet do better.

I remember John Singer Sargent summing up portraiture
as "A painting where something is wrong with the
mouth!"

Sargent was a master portraitist during the time of
the Impressionists and friends with many of them.
When he was at the top of his game and had become
financially independent from portraiture, he walked
away from it to paint landscapes and watercolors...

It was a challenge I think, and I believe I was
faithful to live up to the challenge, scraping and
repainting the face twice. The trick with painting
painterly, is you can smooth and blend your way into
a lot of detail and refined rendering with oils, but
where you aim to let a brushstroke suggest detail
there can be no frivolous meaningless brushstrokes.
Each one is critical to the believability of the
painting.

Here are some closeups to my rebuilding this face
from the scraped off board, and actually what is
interesting is that scraping leaves a stain of what
you originally painted, and becomes something like a
template to follow or adjust.


I begin working the right side, or Tim's left eye,
squinting my eyes and determining the plane of the
face receiving a higher key light, plus areas of the
midrange values, some darks for the eye...























Having established the right side, I have my levels and
target to work in the other eye-






















All that is left is refining the perimeters of the face,
ear, hat...and repaint the sky behind to anchor everything
back into place..






















As usual...clicking on images themselves brings up a much
larger nicer view to study..

Sometimes it hurts...but,

Well...I've never been completely fully happy
with my likeness of Tim. Pretty close considering
my reference was a 72dpi pixelated image from an
online site. I am very happy I was able to get
a couple decent photos from Tim's younger
daughter Micheala...and scanned it in at 600dpi...

I know Sargent was known frequently to be dissatisfied
with the progress of his painted faces, and would
routinely scrape them off.

Being that this is oil...I cannot really make the
changes with paint layered and yet in somewhat a
wet state, so...scrape it off I did. I'll post what
I paint to fix this..