My painting method in three steps

Herein I will describe the process that I take in completing a painting. The method here is implemented for most of my work unless the painting is completed in one session or alla prima. The paints that I use are the Windsor and Newton oil colors that I rarely thin down except when applying an under painting. I do however use linseed oil to increase consistency and flow. But overall I like to have a lot of paint on my palette and subsequently on my brush when applying it. Let's get started....

Figure1. This is the most important phase of the painting process. In the beginning part I do most of my drawing relaying exactly where I want what positioned. Secondly at this stage I examine how the overall light and dark is pleasing to the eye. For more in depth article on that read my previous post at: Light and dark of it all
So the process at this beginning stage is to draw with a raw umber and white mixture the light/shadow of the subject matter and not so much subject itself. As you can see I don't focus so much on the details of the subject but instead choose to focus on large shapes. It is at this beginning stage where you should be able to tell whether the paining will be pleasing to eye or not. For this part of the work I used a large filbert number 10 or 12 and usually takes no more then an hour or two.

Figure 2. I always start by painting in the main subject first. I have to admit that this is not the best way to paint as you should be working on everything at once so that there is an overall flow and color balance. I however focus on the main subject and the adjacent areas working my way out accordingly. As might not be apparent from the JPEG I use thicker paint in the light areas while thinning down darker areas. This if for no other reason is to have the main lit up areas pop out and the dark part recede. At this and the next stage I keep my lights separate from my darks. I threat and work on them individually always referring to my initial drawing as reference. I should also mention that I always continue to draw beyond what I did in figure 1; meaning that I constantly measure and evaluate where what is positioned.

Figure 3. Yes I've skipped a few steps to the finished work here; but really the process is the same as in figure 2. I work my way out constantly evaluation drawings, shapes, lights and darks. The end part of the painting might take the longest as I might see things that require changes because everything needs to flow together. As a general rule I leave a painting out of sight for a few days after I feel it is completed only coming back to it after. The reason is that the eye can be overwhelmed when working on one piece for to long, that I end up seeing things that might not be there. I should note that for this 'meat and potato' stage of the process I not only use a brush but also painting knives as well as my fingers.That's it...


"Dining at the 4Gats" Oil on Linen


Well that's it in a nutshell. Constant evaluation of the drawing, values, edges and color; in that order of importance. And I should mention that for the all prima works the process is similar but with no evaluative underpainting. I will hopefully post a more thorough 'painting process' in the near future. Happy painting.

A couple of new works

Girl with basket

A couple of works in the same colour range.

"Rose"

"Pears"

Light and dark of it all....

Have you ever wondered why some paintings seem to win all the prizes at art competitions while others do not? You can not seem to figure it out, but they are more pleasing to look at. Well..it's not that they are more beautifully rendered or that they have the best color balance (although that helps..more on that in the future)...It has to instead to do with the harmonious use of lights and darks within the painting. But what does that really mean? You really need to be able to see any subject you plan on painting in two values: black and white and then determine whether the patterns are pleasing and not just noise. Let me give you an example:

 

Here we have a black and white abstract design. Looking at this image I can conclude that through the use of simple shapes the overall concept is pleasing to look at. Now once you have this foundation you can go back and start placing light and dark elements individually withing your work. Kind of like this:

"Tomatoes and basket"

"Onions"

Before commencing any painting project you need to analyze the subject matter and then communicate the way light flows across that form, creating a harmonious design of lights and darks.By doing so your work will resonate and not merely be superficially exciting.

Couple of new works!!

My latest work

As promised here is the "All knife portrait"..well almost. I touched up the face a bit more with brushes. However using knives definitely makes your eyes train to see in large values instead of focus on mundane detail. Try it; It's a whole lot of fun.

"Jelena"-Oil on Linen

Detail

Still life

My first venture into still lives. It's a small piece done quite impressionisticly. I used a knife on this work to render the background as well as some of the foreground. I'm currently working on a portrait done almost exclusively with a knife. It is quite a unique tool. Check back as I will post it soon. Thanks.

 

New work

After a six week vacation I'm back in my studio working. This portrait was more a value study then anything. The whole piece is as effective as it is because it was done in only three values. The eyes and the hair are the darkest; the cheeks are the lightest; and an overall mid tone. As always let me know what you think.

 

Solid prep work

It is said that one who fails to prepare should prepare to fail, and it certainly rings true in art.

When preparing for a major studio painting the preliminary part could take just as long as the painting itself, if not longer. From field studies to numerous sketches, building a solid foundation will pay dividends down the road. 
I can't tell you how many times I've dove in with work in the past only to find short comings because I failed to properly analyze the whole scene. Since then I've almost always done a quick color study of the subject
I am doing. In this way I can see how everything works together, from different values to color temperature and composition. This is something you just can not see by just looking at a photo.

Let me show you what I mean: In figure one below I've painted a quick 30 minute sketch of the subject matter. Doing so I was able to determine whether the position of the model is optimal... Also if I like the color balance...And numerous other details. I have to admit that I probably should have painted the rest of the scene so I can gauge everything; however the main painting was by no means large or complex so I chose not to.  As it stands I did not end up changing much in figure two except that I warmed up the model quite alot more.

So remember; take the time to research your subject. You'll find that you make mistakes less and less.

Figure 1

Figure 2

 

Simplifying a palette

I painted a quick study of my wife putting on her makeup. The whole painting was done using only the primary colors with raw umber and white. The three primaries that I used are cadmium red light, cadmium yellow light and ultramarine blue.

Using a limited palette forces you to mix your own colors instead of having one pre-made; and in doing so  you have a track as to how you came up to a particular color. Some old masters went as far as to only use primaries in all their work. One of them was Anders Zorn who used only ivory black, yellow ochre, cadmium red light and white. In theory you should be able to mix all other colors from just those three primaries with black and white.

In developing skin tone start out by mixing a cool mixture of raw umber and white. Then try warming it up with either red or yellow. For women try to retain a pink and gray palette while for men utilize a rust and golden palette. These are not written in stone and only serve as basic guidelines.
Happy painting!!

Importance of simplifying shapes!

I did a painting today to demonstrate a couple of key important points.

Firstly whether your work is painted in high key or low key, make sure you keep the areas of shadow or light limited to a few large areas. Try to stay away from having to many small unattractive areas of light or shadow as this usually leads to an overly busy work of art.

Secondly, be mindful of what the abstract shapes in your work of art look like. Try to see in only a couple of values. Or if you are working from photographs, you may alter a photo on any photo editing software to render an image in two values. By doing this it allows you to see how beautiful the underlying shapes are. This will usually lead to a beautiful work of art. I will address this in a future post in more detail.

Even though my work is a quick gestural study it has strong lines as well as a well defined light and shadow areas. Interestingly enough I might use this as a reference for a future larger studio painting. 
 

Analyze the shapes in the sketch

Finished work

.

 

A major project

My wife and I have completed a huge mural project in Kitchener. It took us almost 8 months. The work is painted inside a Romanian Orthodox church in Byzantine painting style.
Here are some of the photos.

My wife high up

See me?

Mid way through

Almost done

Completed

Iconostasis icons

A start of something great

I'm very excited to be able to share my work with everyone through this post. I will be able to keep my fans and collectors up to date with all of my current projects. Furthermore I will be adding tips and tricks for all you artists as to clearly outline how some paintings are created.