On Friday, I had coffee with a good artist friend, and we decided to meet up again later for a field trip to Principle Gallery's reception. The show is called "Catharsis: Wild Heart," and it had some extraordinary figural work, stuff I aspire to but never seem to achieve. So it was both inspiring and depressing.
I spent the weekend feeling pitiful, but now it's time to get back to work.
I'm calling this one finished, hooray!
Now, on to other things.
So I still have one more weekday to put in some decent working time. Here's what I did today:
More work on the right side, but now I'm worried that it's taking too much attention away from the rest of the picture.
Spent some time on the right side today, trying to develop that nook with the chef.
Lately I've been trying to figure out why I've been so disappointed with this piece, but I finally figured it out. What had originally attracted me to the scene was the contrast between the white rocks and the darker ones, and that just wasn't coming through. So over the last couple of sessions I've been trying to heighten that contrast, and now I think it's working.
I just have to add the greenery in the foreground right corner, and clean up some of the water.
I've been wanting to do something with this strange place— a group of cement kilns—for a long time, so it's fun to see it come together. I don't know how to achieve the neon apatite color on the bricks in the reference; maybe with a succession of glazes? — but I will try.
I don't know if the clock will stay.
Now that the shadow side of the building is painted in, I have a better idea of how to proceed from here.
In an effort to make my figural work more believable and less cartoony, I'm paying strict attention to details and trying my best to blend edges. I think the face on the figure is better, but the jeans and the coat still need work.
Pleased to get started on these; I know the blocking-in stage is rough, but they'll sharpen up in the next few sessions.
Did a little redrawing of the figure and her trailing dress today. I wait for the turquoise paint to dry; am looking forward to getting some detail into those brick structures.
Also:
Had to run out to do a photo shoot this morning, but I did get a little painting time in this afternoon, mostly on the table surface in the foreground.
Another Thursday Evening, work in progress (click on image for larger view)
And I added a lot of color to the one below. It's hard to get the intense and ethereal turquoise color on the brick walls of the reference photo— It may take a few sessions of glazing.
For once, there were no outside distractions to keep me from working, and I was able to sit quietly at the easel and work.
I changed the title.
Color and contrast are the two things that drew me into painting this piece. I love the strong light, and I can remember the day I was strolling down the street with family when I saw this little scene. A flock of blackbirds flew overhead, but I wasn't quick enough to catch them in the photo; still, it's a wonderful image.
Painted in some hazy images in the windows. Can't wait to get back to the green areas.
Next step: applying color.
Decided to try something new and different. Drew according to grid, the imagery will be more obvious over the next couple of weeks.
In real life, you can't see the messy brushstrokes in the sky; the camera's picking up some of the abundant sunshine outside. I want the sky to be perfectly flat, and the red color on the building needs to be toned back and made slightly dingy. Also, that green wall is not true to the way it looks with the eye, but all this will sort itself out pretty soon.
