Fabrics – Colour Mapping Challenge – Part 1 – Picking my Colour & Why…

Here are some of the early yellows: Turmeric.

(Home) – Studio Painting – 5th Still-life Project – Bolder Brushstrokes

First, I'm thinking I still need to play with these shadows. They need to be longer. This shiny contrast between the items in the still life and the shadow is entirely what I see and is due to the pro-photo lighting I have about two feel from the model. It casts solid and crisp shadows... … Continue reading (Home) – Studio Painting – 5th Still-life Project – Bolder Brushstrokes

(Home) – Studio Painting – 5th Still-life Project – Subtle Additions

I think my usual approach is to put in strong outlines first, then smooth them out with various brushstrokes. This time I wanted a more watercolour feel and tried watering down the Mars Black to give the subtle shadows I saw... or think I saw. I get impatient when I have to stare at the … Continue reading (Home) – Studio Painting – 5th Still-life Project – Subtle Additions

(Home) – Studio Painting – 5th Still-life Project – First Brushstrokes

Following a very light and loose line drawing on the watercolour paper, I pick my large surface colours. It occurs to me that I've forgotten how I pick them and why I choose one over another... is it to approximate the colours of the model? Is it for some deeper aesthetic reason? I've stopped reflecting … Continue reading (Home) – Studio Painting – 5th Still-life Project – First Brushstrokes

Fabrics Challenge Number Two – Different Resists in a Cochineal Bath – Basic Report – Part One

Stay tuned... there's more to come...

Fabrics Challenge Number Two – Apparently it is resists?!? – The Fabric prep stage.

Ok, so we got the ton of demos, articles, suggestions, images, how to's, instructions, jargon, etc... Ok, you get the picture... too. much information... then we got an email telling us to simply Mordant some fabric in Alum... that was also a little confusing, but she elaborated today and I got it done... as you … Continue reading Fabrics Challenge Number Two – Apparently it is resists?!? – The Fabric prep stage.

(Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – Finishing Touches

I wasn't happy with the way I added the white, so I faded it out a little... then I saw loads of little places I could add some black lining for extra effect... I futzed with it for about... well, the length of a contemplative cold beer. Fuzzy-headed (yes, I'm a lightweight now... I'm old … Continue reading (Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – Finishing Touches

(Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – Adding Texture and WHITE.

Following my teacher's advice to put in white against the black and being bold about it is, well, frustrating for me to do... I have to let go... The funny thin g is that I always thought I did let go when making... So, I just let go and allowed it to happen. This is … Continue reading (Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – Adding Texture and WHITE.

(Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – First Layers of Colour

I needed to start with the black, making broad areas over the simple pencil sketch. I really wasn't feeling it at first... I just didn't like my new palette choices. As I let it dry a little I started to visualize the changes I could make... the more I visualized it, the more I felt … Continue reading (Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – First Layers of Colour

(Home) – Studio Painting – 4th Still-life Project: A Seven-Colour Challenge – Part 2 – A Possible Set-Up

As I thought, I needed to do another composition for the 7-colour challenge... Also, I needed to use different sculptures for the still-life. I've used here several of my tiki-head vessels. I dove into the painting and will show the the rambling progress in the next couple of days... Stay tuned...