Most of my paintings are completed within a few weeks time, but not always. This most recent painting is one of those exceptions. Sometimes when you let a painting ‘rest’ for a while, the problem and solution become more apparent.
Archive for the ‘Practice and Theory’ Category
The Speed of Painting
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010What is an Underpainting?
Friday, March 26th, 2010I took these photos yesterday of a commissioned painting in progress to be forwarded to the client for review. This allows us (myself, the client, and the designer) to work together in bringing together multiple design elements.
I had visited the house previously and taken several existing works to view in the space. None were quite large enough for the intended space, but the existing works allowed us to establish a baseline for what mood the client enjoyed most, and which colors worked best in the room.
The stage of the art right now is what I would consider to be the ‘underpainting’. This is a loose interpretation of color and composition. It allows an artist to establish overall relationships first, rather than attempting to finalize limited areas at a time.
This work is slightly larger than average (36″ x 36″) so creating an underpainting is especially useful.
Commission in Progress
Saturday, March 20th, 2010Just wanted to post this image to show a bit about how I work. With living creatures like birds (specifically here, the Great Egret) I believe it important to study many sources to gain an understanding of the animal and how it moves. Also I documented the birds myself and am using those photos to create this commissioned work.
Often while working as an instructor, I would see students create art from newspaper or magazine photos… this is not an issue if done only for the purpose of study, but unethical if done for profit.
