Colours and tone

Fist coat. Trying to keep the cool colours in the background and warmer colour in front. Only the first full colour and tone application. Lots of work still to be done.

 

Step by Step

The first step in this new technique I'm using is to apply a thick coat of tinted plaster that I've mixed with thick medium to allow for some flexibility.  The difficult part is the drawing of the subject that, in a way, is sculpted into the plaster before it dries.  Here are the results of this first coat.  This process takes approximately 4 days to dry.

It is only after this coat has completely dried and I've applied a thick coat of Clear Gesso that I am able to proceed with the paint.  I use Acrylic paint mixed with thick medium.  This process takes approximately 4 days to dry.

In this series the background base colour is Prussian Blue mixed with some Sap Green at times and/or Bright Aqua Green or Light Emerald Green.  I lighten the colour with Titanium white if needed.  I use a thick bristle brush so i can get into the grooves of the texture at first, and then with a slightly different mixture, I apply a light surface coat to allow the undercoating to show through.  I repeat this throughout the painting that can take up to 3 weeks.  I imagine, because of this 20 x 30 size, it will take me at least until the end of the month.

 

next week, I begin with applying coast of paint on the apples themselves.  See you then.

Working on it.

I'm not ignoring the Blog, I'm a little busy and I've prepared the basic drawing and surface for the next painting.  Because this one is 20"x30", it requires molding gel and drying time.  There's no point right now to put up what is prepared because it's basically dark grey and we can't really see anything in photo. 

Next week, I'll put up the first pictures...  Hope you will join me then.

Lynn

Knowing when to stop

It's difficult to know when to stop painting.  You can keep on going until you obtain photorealism.  This was not my intent.  This is my attempt to produce an Impressionist painting.  Although I used mediums that were not available during that period, I now have more appreciation for Van Gog and his thick application of paint on canvas.  The idea is to capture the mood of the subject and not necessarily the likeness of the subject itself.  At least, that is what I have learned in this exercise.  This week I touched up some details and color/tones, I applied a final varnish and decided that there was no point in adding anything else.  The painting and the "mood" is represented and it is complete as is.

Please let me know what you think. 

Lynn

A la Prima

Another coat of paint.  This week I worked on tone and color.  The cooler colors in the background and the warmer colors in front.  I also changed the surface on which the apples rest so it will fit better with the other paintings of this series.  I am applying the Acrylic paint a la prima to allow me to really establish to colours I want to have and the strong contrasts I desire.

The progression so far is coming along...  I think.

Original Photo Source

First Layers texture and Paint

By next week, I'm hoping to show you the finished painting next to the other 3 paintings of this series.  See you then.

 

(Please view the previous postings to see the progression of this artistic approach.

New Beginning for the group

I began with the background texture that I created from a mixture of Gesso, Plaster, CGC, Black Acrylic paint and some Medium, that I applied on a canvas and with spatulas. I then redrew my subject with a small spatula and a wood stick, within the surface, and I let it dry for 3 days. I recently proceeded in applying the first coat of paint loosely to define highlight and tone.

This is where I'm at for now.

 

I will apply another coat of paint this week. let me know what you think...

New Month, New Year, New Apples

I'm Back!  And i wish all of you a very Happy New Years.  Good Health and Happiness.

We're up to Photo # 4.  Wow has time flown by.

Back to basics of course.  the study this time, I did in Conte on Newsprint, in Black, Grey and White as follows:

A) I first began to study the perspective and spacial relations between the objects. 
B) I outlined the objects to review the forms themselves.
C) I focused on negative spaces
D) I turned my attention to light and shaddows
E) Blending and highlighting, as well as darkening the background.

It took approximately 1 hour to come up with the following results:

 

I know that as I continue to work this month, on this image and composition, I'll be able to correct to define the shapes and volumes even more.

Hope you will continue to follow me this year...  Again, Happy New Year.

The "Apple".

As a child, we all remember being so proud when our first drawn fruit, the apple, was recognised by others.  A simple circle (2D) and a line (1d) and an apple was created.  How magical.  And then there was no stopping us. The sun rose high with shooting rays...  We all lived in a square cabin with a single door and window, with Mom and Dad who were giants with oversized brains...  And then something happened.  We could not see behind the apple. (3D)...  How could we represent on a sheet of paper (2D) something that had mass and weight...  We stopped imagining, We stopped the magic... 

In this blog, I will endeavor to recapture some of that magic by blocking off 4 hours a week and study the subject of the apples by representing it in drawing, paintings, scultures and any mediums. 

My goal, with your help, is to be able to define my Artist Statement and personalise my Artistic Approach.

I hope you will follow along and help me recover the magic and rediscover the "Apple". This is My Apple Project.  Welcome.