Working towards an end to the Fishing Scene

Wow. I haven't posted an update to this painting for nearly three months! But I've been toiling away once a week on the final stage called "second painting", which for me is mostly about blending surfaces, creating textures, softening edges and applying tints and glazes. Over time, the dark areas sink in as the paint dries and the oils/mineral spirits evaporate. Then, when you reach an area that borders a dark area, you need to freshen up the border with some oil so you can see what colour the dark area was before it dried...

I just finished working the base of the cork lantern. I approached it much like I would a human face in the same lighting conditions. The darkest areas have warm shadows, the half-tones are cool, the front is warm again, and any ridges catching the direct light are cool. A layer of grey dust has settled on everything after months of sitting in the studio, so I went back and cooled things down a bit. The face of the cork was made with a burnt sienna to give it an orange glow but I had to dull that down by mixing it its complementary, green umber. The umber was more effective than the neutral grey I had been mixing months before.

Most of the big areas around the book are done. I just have to "second paint" the area below where the rope ends dangle, and then go back to the surface of the book. The red lure is fine except for an unintentional white halo around its top edge, which I'll make disappear.  The last bit will be the lettering, which I dread...

Just a few more weeks to go, I think. And just in time too. Gravity is taking its toll. In the setup the blanket has fall down and the red lure has jumped off the page and onto the floor more than once. I can't blame it really.