16 x 20 oil on belgium linenDear Reader,
I spent yesterday with a group of other expert painters painting a gipsy girl ( not your Paris variety ) for a 6 hour pose at Studio12. Most notably painting along side me were Big Dog Don Hatfield, Silvio my gumba Silvestri, and Robert Sandidge. We drew straws for location and out of 8 straws I drew the last straw.. But no matter, I painted on a bench close up to the model as I did last week. It was okay, but I could not back up. I hope yu like it.
My Gumbah Silvio
Robert really pulled off a real beauty and he and I painted through lunch to get what we were after. Is that dedication or desperation?
Of course, Big Dog was left with an angle nobody picked and pulled off a mini masterpiece. He attacks the canvas much like teenager attacks a Wendy's burger at lunch time.
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Tip....Its a good idea if you are going to invest any time painting a figure that you work out the composition and get a good layout. There are many devises artist's use to get a good composition and I have used just about all of them. If I have my digital camera around , I will " compose " the sitter " and crop in at various angles and distances by shooting the model and then looking at it on my digital screen on the back of the camera. Do I pull back or do I bring in the focal point? I can compare and contrast different compositions and then pick the one I feel captures the mood and feel I want to achieve. I mean, you HAVE to be excited about the pose if you are to invest 6 hours of your life painting it.
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You did that in one sitting? Amazing!
ReplyDeleteHey Mary...I just added to the post. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIts only a 16 x 20 canvas. Some of the painters brought some big canvases and did not finish. Since I've done this a bit, I kinda knew what I could bring to get something I felt I could handle.
One thing I tell my students. Preparation is key. The trick is to set yourself up for success.I could have painted an 18 x 24 with that amount of time, but I had my 16 x 20 lying around.
Also, 6 hrs sometimes will stymy inventiveness and spontaneity. Most poses are 3 hrs. I found myself getting distracted for the first couple of hours.
Just feel jealous not being able to be in such a setting-What an amazing opportunity-Love the paintings, and the model is so tempting to paint-just considering the lighting!
ReplyDeleteyes like it very much! it is excellent. and i agree about the composition, the number of time si have wiped down a canvas due to that one basic mistake because i am so much more excited about the subject. r.
ReplyDeleteThanks Adebanji...Congratulations on all your successes this year! I enjoyed watching the W&N video.
ReplyDeleteRahina,
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem. I just want to rush in and paint and forget about the foundation.