I've been trying to get the right sense of light falling off the figure on the right. The cheekbone may need a little more depth and color, but I think the arm is working, at least.
This is a lovely rug. I'm trying to reproduce it in a painterly, impressionist manner, but so far it just looks haphazard and sloppy. I think the best way to deal with it will be to keep adding small touches of pale paint so it doesn't overwhelm the figure.
Though the formula for this plate was a little different than on the 6 Layer painting, there were some similar pigments, so I utilized them. And I figured out a better way to deal with the lace doily, so the shading on the plate has to be in place and dry before I can get to that in the next session. Did a little work on the spoon, too, though I should have gone darker. Next time.
The painting went well this morning. I was apprehensive, considering what I had to do: "backfill" the plate inside the ribbons of chocolate. But it worked out! I don't think I'm going to attempt to add the three green rings on the rim, but we'll see. I'd need a lot more confidence.
This afternoon the work went easier; I didn't make so many mistakes.
Resting Place, © 2021, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with me; I measure things wrong, I use the wrong reference for a figure I'm putting into a painting; my color sense is abysmal, etc., etc. So here's this morning's flawed work:
What a great town. I would love to be there right now. Painting this reminds me of how pleasant it is.
It's been quite a battle to get the lines painted correctly on the door; my measurements were way off in the beginning, and then the lines looked wobbly. They're better today— I taped off the places where they needed to be drawn, and gave them a foundation in blue/brown. Over the next several sessions, I'll add shading.
Fiddled around with the plate color here, but the lighter values need to be blended into the midtones. Did a lot to the chocolate syrup gravy boat.
I did more work yesterday, just forgot to mention it.
Much work was done on the edge of the bowl, the napkin, and the surface of the dessert.
Also:
Worked on the two central figures.
The lines on all of the elements seen through the window looked wonky to me, so I hauled out the trusty old T-square and redrew them. I also redrew the arm and some of the garment folds on the figure. I realize now that the reason the face bothers me so much is because of the harshness of the flash; see "Straight Ahead" below for an example of natural lighting. We may have to reshoot the head, here.
I keep changing the color of the house in the background, trying to get something that's not drab or cheerless, and that doesn't compete with the roses but complements them. This might actually work. Time to let it dry and then see how it looks.
I took yesterday off to rest my hurt knee, and ended up gathering a lot of useful technical information from a book I bought years ago and forgot about. The knee pain is an energy drain, and this is all I have to show for today's work, but I did make some progress, at least.
And I used some of the information from the book.
I don't know if I'll ever get the faces to look right in this painting. Even the workshop I took a couple of years ago isn't helping; I just have no skill at painting faces. I wiped off the paint twice today on the girl with the cell phone! But I'll keep plugging away at it.
This is one of the few pieces in the studio that is actually fun to paint.
Did not feel like painting this morning, but pushed myself anyway. I'd like to see this painting done and up on my wall. Am trying to reproduce the foliage from the first version I did of this one, and at the same time stay true to the foreground lines of the others in the series.
Every July I try to remember to pull this one out of the stack and get back to work on it so it'll be ready for the Christmas/Holiday season. It has a Christmasy theme, what with all the decorated greenery and all. When did I start it? Was it seven years ago? Ten? Anyway, I did A LOT of repainting today, mostly on the weirdly lit ceiling, but here and there as well. And I saw things I haven't noticed before: The guy's head is too small for his body. The blue sweater could be much improved with gradations from the lighter blues to the darker shadows. An object that I'd painted turned out not to be an object at all, but a reflection on the window.
If I don't finish it this calendar year, I'm throwing it out.
Or painting over it.
