I’m beginning to learn to always paint over edges and to never just paint a color up to an edge. It’s easier to harden edges later, keep them mostly soft.
Patrick: Neck
Today I started work on his neck with a focus on high chroma and texture in an attempt to communicate the weather beaten skin.
Patrick: Organized Layers
I’m planning a new method for this painting and it has to do with some organizing of layers from day to day.
Patrick: Uncertainty
I’m trying to figure out what I want to accomplish with this portrait. I think the drawing and composition is set but the paint application needs something more.
Patrick: Direction
Each area of a painting starts with no direction, I feel lost when starting, so I just focus on something small and specific that I can effect well.
Patrick: Bandana
I didn’t feel that I had a lot of energy for focus this morning so I worked on the base color for the bandana and some of the background.
Life Drawing: Chris
I made the drive almost 2 hours south to see good friends and do more life drawing on Whidbey Island.
Patrick: Medium
During this session I thought to use Gamblins Neo-Meglip medium to bolster the texture of the paint but that idea fell flat, literally and figuratively.
Patrick: Impasto
I’m close to slapping on the paint thickly with a palette knife, maybe if I sculpt the portrait out of paint I can come close to the life I want to achieve.
Patrick: Beginning With Oil
I had some struggle trying to determine if I should work further with acrylic but my heart said that it was time to move on to oil.
Patrick: Some Refinement
I’m working a bit on Patrick’s face and trying to refine some of the shadow area while wondering if it’s time to move to Oil.
Patrick: Another Leg
I’m really loving the purples, oranges and all the high chroma colors I see in the legs juxtaposed next to the ruddy tones and the couch.
Patrick: Leg
I’m moving on to the first layer of paint over Patrick’s leg and some of the black couch in the background.
Patrick: The Foot
Patrick’s foot is so prominent in the painting that I first worried about it’s awkwardness but now I feel it may be one of the most important parts of the painting.
Patrick: Hand and the Mote
I paint the initial layer for Patrick’s hand which is a pantomime of a mote of dust floating in sunlight.
Patrick: Loose Strokes Following Forms
I’m moving throughout the body focusing on the limbs and using loose painting but still trying to describe the form with the direction of the strokes.
Patrick: T-shirt Tan
I love the change from skin darkened from sun exposure to his shoulders protected by the sun from many days working outside.
Patrick: Reds and Oranges
Patrick’s neck is a much more deep red further confused by the unnaturally intense orange of his shirt. Detailing this area later is going to be interesting.
Patrick: Moving Out
I’m moving out from the face and painting the neck and the background.
Patrick: Layering
I spent some time painting over some of the face and layering the paint. This is the last of layering for now as I decide to work a single layer over the entire figure first.
Patrick: Back to it
After the longest travel day I’ve had in years I return home and to my painting of Patrick.
Indianapolis Drawing 8
Our last day in Indianapolis we loiter in the lobby till it’s time to travel to the airport.
Indianapolis Drawing 7
This is the last day of the conference and I’m sitting at the ZooFit table drawing the high priced Mazuri booth featuring exotic animals.
Indianapolis Drawing 6
Once again in the lobby, I’m looking at a plethora of stark architecture and modern furniture and finally settling on an area of high contrast.
Indianapolis Drawing 5
I hesitated when starting this drawing of hanging lights as the complexity of the subject seemed beyond my ability, but I did it anyway.
Indianapolis Drawing 4
I’m in the lobby again, drawing a woman behind the front desk and the massive space surrounding her.
Indianapolis Drawing 3
I sit next to my 12th floor window as the light fades drawing the street scattered with people possessing lesser fortune than mine own.
Indianapolis Drawing 2
A drawing of a lamp in the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel.
Indianapolis Drawing 1
We have traveled to Indianapolis for an AAZK conference and ZooFit promotion so the next few days is me drawing in the hotel room.
Patrick: Positive Progress
I’m very happy with my current progress and as it stands now I think my decision to start this painting over from scratch was well founded.
Patrick: No More Strokes
I’m trying my best not to stroke the brush on the canvas, instead I use a frayed brush and meander it across the surface. It’s closer to real life this way.
Patrick: Beginning With Acrylic
I toyed with the idea to not start with acrylic this time but I still don’t want to let the idea go so I’m trying a different tactic.
Patrick: Drawing Done
I’m done with the drawing with graphite now it is time to begin with paint. I will always be drawing but now it is time to transition to painting.
Patrick: Drawing a Drawing
A drawing on the wall looks to be the phases of the moon flanked by a young and old woman. It’s meaningful and important.
Patrick: Painting of Art
There are several pieces of art in the background of this painting and I’m going to have a difficult time reproducing them.
Patrick: Removing Frustration
Many items I’m drawing will cause me lots of frustration later if I don’t define them well. Better to deal with it now in graphite, than paint.
Patrick: Initial Drawing Done
I’ve finished the layout of every item on the canvas now I just need to refine a few more things before beginning painting.
Patrick: Covering Up
I spent most of this session covering up old confusing lines with some more gray gesso paint.
Patrick: Stacks of Dead Media
I love the eclectic feel of everything behind Patrick but the stacks of tapes and cd’s is going to be very tedious to paint.
Patrick: New Apartment
The new setup in my new apartment is similar to the last but I still need to get used to it.
Moving Sketch 2
We have moved most of our stuff to our new apartment yesterday now we are moving our most precious kitties after I do my sketch.
Moving Sketch
All my art supplies are packed up and the apartment is almost empty so I’m sitting on the floor drawing a clean kitchen stove.
Patrick: Moving Slow
The title is a play on words as we are moving and it is causing me to move forward slowly on the painting.
Patrick: Short Session
I’m refining some of the drawing from yesterday but doing the minimum time because I need to clean for our move.
Patrick: Drawing the Background
Just doing the first pass on the background wall which is full of eclectic items.
Patrick: Dealing With Blur
Being the wonderful animated person he is Patrick likes to gesture with his hands but it doesn’t make the best photos.
Patrick: Sticking With It
I’m boxing up all my art supplies for our move and making a commitment to take this drawing as far as I can before painting.
Patrick: Focus on Accuracy
I have another busy day today so I’m refining the drawing more very early and I’m focusing on getting the drawing as accurate as possible.
Patrick: Early Morning Drawing
We have a busy day today so I began drawing on this painting at 5am. So far I’m very happy with my progress now.
Patrick: Refinement with Value
I wanted to get a better idea of how the form of Patrick’s face moves through space this will go far to inform the next painting step.
Patrick: Drawing Refinement Again
One month after the first time I was doing drawing refinement I’m doing it again but this time I feel like I have a better direction and outlook.
Patrick: Back to Drawing
I was able to finish the next few coats of gesso and sanding and begin drawing.
Patrick: New Canvas and Better Start
I feel that this change in direction is the best, it will take me a while to get back up to speed but I feel I’m back on track.
Patrick: Starting Over
I’ve come to a point where I feel I have no choice and must start over.
Patrick: Blinded by the White
It was apparent from the first brush stroke that the white of the canvas was a bad idea.
Patrick: Layers Upon Layers
I feel that I won’t be happy with my progress on this painting until I have 10 good layers of paint over the first eye socket.
Patrick: Switching to Oil
I debated for a while and finally decided that it would be better to switch to oil and focus on layers, chroma and texture.
Patrick: Experiment Failed?
What I want to accomplish is in my head visually, but I lack the ability to communicate it through acrylic.
Patrick: Warm Colors
I purchased some new paints that are all warmer than my current set and I think this is helping a lot to achieve what I want.
Patrick: Eye Socket Start Over
The current state of the painting is in a really weird position but I assure you it is for a good reason.