Big form modelling continuing in the lights

In this session, I worked more in the lights, particularly around the base of the statue and in the hair. I will need to return to the shadows and get the right colour. Currently, it's too green there and not brown enough (add more burnt ochre). Also be aware of yellow highlights in the white...

Work progresses on Hermes

This past week, I've been concentrating on the shadows -- the cast shadow (now more solid), the edge of the cheek and forehead, and the contained shadow on the shoulder (better shape). The hair in the shadows still needs to be modelled and darkened to give a better sense of turning away from the light. But I'll be working next on the lights in the neck and probably the cloth under the base (darkening it)...

While the paint dries, modelling another section

A few days earlier, I applied pure white to some areas of the canvas untouched by paint yet (primarily hair)... So for this session, I worked on the left hand side under the neck, on the part that curves upwards... I'm please with the results for this first go.

Big Form Modelling Phase

The past two weeks, I've concentrated on starting some big form modelling in the whites, and refining some shapes while I'm at it... On the head, there are four areas in the lights that I'm defining: the forehead/cheeks, the beard, the hair, and hte neck. I've just started on the face/beard. There's still some ways to go but the forms are beginning to take shape. In real life (not this photo), the face values are in fact darker than the top of the beard or the hair, so I'm keeping that in mind.

4 values, almost

Here's the painting as I left it on Saturday: I nearly have the four basic "values" in place: background and table, cast shadows, contained shadows on the statue and the white of the statue. I made adjustments to the shadow shapes and profiles on the face but see that I still need to shorten the corner of the mouth...

I also need to adjust the colour of the contained shadows: the shadows are warm (on the brown side) because of reflections from the floor. I made them too green (cool) on my first pass.

Once these corrections have been done, I will be checking shapes once last time before moving onto big form modelling in the lights.

I'm getting the hang of the background green now... The secret I found was to mix ivory black and yellow ochre pale first to get the right balance of green, and then apply white to lighten it. I kept burnt umber and raw umber out of it (for now). Next, I'll apply one value for the contained shadows.

Making Green

I finished the dry brush drawing on Saturday and laid down the first background colour. The plan is to put down the background wall, then the cast shadow, the table (all sides) and the the contained shadows (one colour -- using the mid-tone value under the neck, not the eye).

What makes green -- ivory black, yellow ochre pale, burnt umber, a bit of raw umber, and white. My result came out one value too dark and also too grey -- not enough yellow ochre to give it the green needed... Oh well, this is a first coat only.















Things to remember for next time: bring a fan brush to smooth out the background strokes (mine is gone!)... the line of the mouth is too long (especially the corner).

Hermes -- First Painting Continues

I'm still working on the "first painting" stage, concentrating now mostly in the shadows on the right side of the head... The head looks too large at the moment and not angled correctly -- this should be fixed by: correcting the line of the left cheek, defining the the hair line/ear better, and by articulating the rivulets in the hair and on the contour.

My camera distorts -- the canvas is brighter than it seems here, although I haven't added my yellow ochre to the whites yet so it does seem on the white side... I'll try using a tripod next time. My easel is also a foot closer to the camera than the statue, which adds further distortion I find.

Patroclus Copy in Progress

Jacques Louis David created this life painting while a 15 year old student! I've made a copy as a drawing, and have since transferred it to watercolour paper for a quick study (below). The values are hard to replicate in watercolour paints. I will eventually do a full study of this painting in oils on linen, starting in a couple of weeks.

Second Cast Painting -- Dry Brush Stage

Two years ago, I drew a cartoon of this cast for a charcoal cast drawing (bottom of photo). I've returned to it for a second cast painting. I transferred the drawing to linen that had already been given a ground of gesso. The easel used to be on the left, but now it's on the right. This has created some changes in shadows and shapes, even though the light is similar and the statue at the same level and position as before. So I find myself redrawing the image in dry brush, taking longer than I'd hoped.

The source of the sculpture is unclear. I've heard it called both Moses and the Gaul (from l'arc de triomphe in Paris)...