More Zebras

I continue to refine my 4 step process of drawing, under painting, color block in, and then the final adjustments. Today’s painting started with a drawing having less detail this time. I wanted the painting process to remain loose because I think that works best for Zebra stripes.

Step Four: Final Adjustment to color & Detail

Step Three: the first coat of color

Step Two: The Under Painting

Having an accurate drawing before I start the under painting allows me to concentrate more on the values rather than both the composition and drawing plus the values like I use to. I had stated on an earlier post that I could skip the process of drawing on the canvas first. At that time I was using vine charcoal and the drawing was not that good, so I would have to spend time correcting the drawing. I know now that accuracy is the key for this process.

Step One: The Drawing "Butting Heads"

Here is the start of my next painting. It is hard to see but if you click the image you can see a larger view. This canvas is a 16” x 20” the lines represent the division using the Golden Ratio. The right eye of the facing Springbok is located at one of the Golden Means of this rectangle.

Plein Aire

Today a watercolor at Bambino’s painted on 140 lb 5.5”x 8.5”.

Plein Aire

Today’s painting a 5” x 7” was done at the Japanese Gardens at Nathaniel Green Park.

Wildebeest Painting Is Finished

Painting In The Background

I’m still working with a limited palette, but here I have replaced the Burnt Umber with Cadmium Orange. The orange when tinted with white brings out the yellow and from that I can mix up a green using the Ultramarine Blue. Because I’m using complementary colors they look good together and with mixing I can get a full range of colors with harmony.

First Color Lay In

The Underpainting

The composition was scaled up from the sketch, by drawing on the canvas with a graphite (HB) pencil. I’m using a medium texture double primed canvas, and it is like drawing on course sandpaper. However the drawing is not for detail, but only to place the elements in the composition. The underpainting allows me to add some detail and values to strengthen to painting.

Making Art

This is a section of a sketch for my next painting. It was scaled down to be one third the size of the 24” x 36” canvas I will be painting on. The section lines I used here for the composition will be the same on the canvas making it easy to scale up the drawing, and allow me to make some adjustments to the original sketch.

Opening Day SPA

I always like to get out and paint, and today was the first gathering of the SPA (Springfield Plein Aire) painters. About 30 artists made it out to paint, talk about art, eat, and show off the work we did over the winter, good stuff. The elephant painting was well received and I won the wildlife category, but the little 5" X 7" painting I did of the clown salt and pepper shakers I was told, topped it.

Back In The Studio Again

Finished at last, I started this painting January 15. I was moving through the process at a pretty good clip, when it just got to cold to work in my studio. In a previous post you can see the start of this painting and the glow of my only heat source. This has been a cold Winter, but Spring is here and I’m back in the studio again praise GOD!

Still Life

I have gone from one extreme to the other this canvas is only 5” X 7”. As with the last painting, I am starting to use a more scientific approach to Design. I’m using the golden ratio for division and the intersecting lines on the 24” X 36” canvas, and here with a dynamic rectangle, I’m using symphonic composition to add points of interest and rhythm to the design.

Foreground and Background

Today I got a late start I focused on the zebras in the background painting loosely and going for an out of focused hazy look, then I painted the male springbuck in the foreground with more detail to make it pop out in front leading the viewer back into the painting.

Elephants

Here is the first painting or color block in for the elephants. I will be painting them a little darker than the photo I’m using for reference.

Back in the studio

It is good to be back in the studio painting after a couple of very cold weeks. I’m working on a larger scale this time my canvas is 24” x 36”. I started by drawing the elephants with charcoal and then using burnt umber thinned I painted the under painting you see here.

The Verdict

For now I will not give a narrative as to the massage of this painting allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusion, but I will say this.

Painting is a spiritual experience for me, sometimes more spiritual than others. Here I wanted a painting with a heart theme that would transmit a massage of love, and the only concept I had when I started was my hands forming a heart. As I started painting the thought of God’s ultimate love was overwhelming.

One Year Anniversary

One year ago today I launched this blog; my goal was to keep a record of my work, to get motivated, and to grow as an artist and develop a self study program. This year has been tuff, but still a good one. With the loss of my job I now have more time to paint. That is what God has given me to do and I will trust in Him.

This coming year I will concentrate on oil painting and marketing my work. This is the back drop for our children’s Christmas program at HBC. I finished it early this year. This is now the ninth time that I have painted these same panels

Clever Supper Market

The Clever Supper Market closed this year, another victim of this failing economy. Commissioned by the owner’s daughter for a Christmas present, I hope it will bring back memories of a more prosperous time.

Fall Colors

This was painted for a client who wanted to have a lasting memory of how these trees looked before they were destroyed by a winter ice storm.

Cowboy

Zebras in the Heat of the Day

This painting is 16” x 20” another in the series of African animals that I’m currently working on.