Wednesday morning there was a thunder storm around 6 a.m. and a pretty loud crack of thunder. Shortly thereafter, the computer was no longer connected to our server and attempts to reconnect were not successful. Late in the day, we learned that the modem had been fried and it was supposed that there had been a surge caused by the morning's storm.
I left quite a bit later in the morning but fortunately there is no instruction until mid-morning. I had made my decision to switch to oils while at the Gallery in Ottawa and used one of the acrylic ground canvases from our first day. I found some photos in the Beaver Magazine to use as models for my very own 'Caravaggio' style painting. There were three photos of different figures but I settled on one and began, finding the figure on the canvas by negative painting. Adjustments still needed..
Notes
 |
Oil Painting
Still refining shapes |
two brush painting - one with paint and one with no paint, used to move around and shovel the paint already laid down on the canvas
Layer 2 - mapping the lights
Layer 3 - adding the darks
Use small amount of Liquid/linseed Oil and apply paint thinly - smoothly, holding the brush flat and parallel to the canvas, touch surface very lightly
Exercise in seeing
- Sit and look at object for an extended period of time [10 minutes]
- If looking at the object does not work, try touching it, paint by touch. Run finger around shapes
Caravaggio did not use hogshair brushes, he used sable or squirrel. His brushstrokes are mostly unseen and his paintings are smooth.
See the SHAPE - Lose the EDGES - LINSEED OIL better. Prepare paint, not runny or inky, thicken with linseed oil until easily moved, not much paint involved.
Paint the shapes. If lines are drawn, will feel committed to the outline. Look at the white shapes. Look at the dark shapes. No line.
PLANNING SKETCH
Choose the figures and items that you want in your painting. Do a loose sketch, putting the shapes into a box proportional to the size of your canvas, let your pencil sketch the shapes without moving the pencil from the page. It likely will take six planning sketches.
Why is it necessary to keep pencil on the paper? Accessing and using other instincts - keep hand down on the sketch, start anywhere, keep scribbleing and try again keeping connected - eventually becomes simpler in line, will find directions of movement and force, not drawing things - don't call anything by name - see angles of direction.
[Caravaggio stages his paintings so that the viewer cannot help but follow the storyline.]
Mapping out the design. Adding the Darks
When putting in the variety of colours for the skin or other areas, paint the shape but do not touch other shapes near by. These will be blended - tickle at the edge, softening the edges together so shapes are still there but blended. Use dry clean brush to blend [tickle] one shape up to the other. Light pressure.
Mix paint for part of face. With paint on brush, hold up and compare to face of model. Match the colour.
See Shape. Determine Colour. Mix paint and adjust as required. Repeat for each shape.
Seeing Shapes is the hard part. Recognize what you see and brain interprets, seeing what is not there.
Painting shapes becomes much easier, less stressful, when 'brain' not involved - do not need to know what seeing, simply seeing.
Left earlier than usual this morning [Thursday] and found it was a better time for driving the 40 minutes to the college.
Prud and I went out for lunch again today. She returned to Ottawa tonight but will come back for the last day tomorrow.
Picked up a Take and Bake from Luna Pizzeria for our supper, which Larry baked. Thanks to J & D, we had some watermelon to finish the meal.
Tired.