Work in Progress: Peaches, Update 6

Work in Progress: Peaches, Update 6

            I’m making some progress on this.

Have some more detail in the face, progressing in the right direction. I added a bit of the background in  - and that is helping to define the edges of the body. Most of the background is being laid in with soft pastels, and defined a little with pastel pencils. The curtain colors so far are raw sienna and burnt umber (Sennelier).

I’m a little disappointed in my ability to get in the detail that I want with pastel, but I think that is mostly due to my learning curve with pastel, a new medium for me. I like pastel but have to get used to using it. Although the likeness is good, I want greater detail. I think I can achieve that through further refinement. The harder pastels of the pastel pencils will not easily go over the top of the soft pastels, especially when the surface is loaded with the soft pastel. The pastel pencils sort of plough through the softer pastel without producing the fine lines I want. I’m finding that, with the pastel pencils, detail can be achieved by a slow buildup of light layers of pastel, working in the detail as I go. This is very much like laying down color with colored pencils. Light layers are built up slowly, and working mostly from light to dark. Once the tooth of the paper is filled to a greater degree with pastel, it is necessary to use softer and softer pastel on top. I can’t add pastel pencil on top of many layers of soft pastel that has been built up. If I’m going to stick with pastel pencils (and I want to, at least with portraits), color must be built up slowly in light layers, mixing as I go. Using the pencils takes more planning – just as colored pencils do. With that in mind, I should be able to succeed in establishing more detail.

Work In Progress: Peaches, Update 5

Work in Progress: Peaches, Update 5

            More of the head is refined here. I spent more time on the eyes and nose, making more adjustments, deepening the color. Most of the work was with brown ochre (182). I used that color, with a sharp point, to define more of the hair on the right side and on the neck. The right edge of the fur along the top of Peaches’ left ear was defined more by coloring in the couch behind her. There, I used some brown ochre, burnt ochre (187), and burnt carmine (193). It’s a little too red at this point but it helps to define the edges of the ear.

            The eyes received more attention in this session as well. There I used dark sepia (175), black (199) around the upper circumference of the eye, and under it, where it seems to have a bit of red color, I added some burnt carmine. The iris itself is an interesting combination of colors, and I don’t think I have it quite right yet. The colors used there are burnt umber (280), black, burnt sienna (283), a little burnt carmine and cream (102) for the lighter areas of the eyes. The pupil is black. I have a good start on the eyes but I’ll need to refine them further. I think the highlight needs to move a bit and, of course, become brighter.

            The nose has much black in it, but also has some brown ochre and cream along the top. There is also some burnt umber and brown ochre on the edges of the darks.

The light areas on either side of the nose, marking the outer edges of the muzzle were first indicated with a bit of warm grey I(270), but I later added some brown ochre to color it a bit. So far, the lighter areas around the eyes and nose haven’t been filled in yet, as I wanted to get more of the defining features first.

The areas under the nose, around the mouth and the chin have some warm grey I, along with paynes grey (181) and black. I’ve also put in a bit of brown ochre. At the corners of the mouth, where the cheeks turn down there is a bit of reddish color, and there I added in some burnt sienna, along with the darker burnt umber. I haven’t worked the mouth completely yet either.

I’m working all the areas on the face, here and there, as I look to the photo reference, and as I do so, I keep checking measurements – the size of the eyes, the distance between them, their relationship to the nose. All these measurements are important and I don’t want to stray from them as I further refine the features.

Work In Progress: Peaches, Update 4

Work in Progress: Peaches, Update 4

            My stage 1 first drawing resulted in a rough block in of Peaches. From there I went back over and refined the block in by doing a second drawing over the first. I switched from light flesh used in the first drawing to van dyke brown for the second. Still checking angles and measuring distances with a divider, I did more refinements to get more detail. The body is still a bit rough, and I’m not concerned with it. The proportions are right. Details of the head are important, so I spent more time on it. I’m getting closer.

From here I’ll begin to start to work on darks, midtones and the lights, continually checking the angles and distances and further refining the details.

Work In Progress: Peaches, Update 3

Work in Progress: Peaches, Update 3

            Finally got a start on this portrait. In the end, I decided to block in the portrait with pastel rather than charcoal. I felt the lighter color would be easier to work with and allow me to gradually darken the figure without having to worry about covering the charcoal. I wanted to start the block in with a color that was just darker than the paper and chose light flesh.

            The first thing I did was to estimate what size the figure had to be in a photo such that I could reproduce the figure on pastel paper at twice the size. Even multiples work out nicely. After figuring that out, I printed out the photo I would be working with. Next, I lightly ruled a painting area on the pastel paper 16” wide by 20” high. From the photo I judged where I would place the figure within the ruled area. I lightly drew a short line indicating where the topmost point of the head would be. Using dividers, I marked in the level for the bottommost point of the chin. The angle from the topmost point of the head to the bottommost point of the chin was then lightly drawn in. These would be my beginning reference points. I also marked in the levels of the top and bottom of the nose, and the mouth.

            The next step in this block in was to roughly outline the entire figure. Rather than immediately trying to work in the curving lines around the body, I picked out important points around the body where there was an abrupt change of direction. Using dividers and judging angles, I found these obvious points and drew fairly straight lines connecting them. I was not interested in any subtle curves or details at this point, merely getting a somewhat accurate shape and getting the dimensions right. Everything would be refined in later steps.

            Blocking in the head proceeded in the same manner. Using the reference points of the topmost point on the head and the bottommost point of the chin, and the center-line, I found the side of the head, the size and shape of the ears, the placement of the eyes, and their width, the shape of the nose and the shape of the muzzle. I constantly checked angles and distances from one point to another as I built in more features. As more feature edges were added I used those to check newer ones, and constantly back checked previous ones to make sure I was maintaining fair accuracy.

This all resulted in rough first stage. From here I’ll go back and begin to slowly refine it.

Work In Progress: Peaches, Update 2

Work in Progress: Peaches, Update 2

            Although I haven’t made a great deal of headway on this project, I can see things beginning to clear a bit, enabling me to find more time to work on it. I just finished up a colored pencil class and it was great to see the progress made by all the students. I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did. We were able to explore technique in detail, something that seemed beneficial to all – and something I will be stressing more of in future classes.

            The Rainbow Springs Fine Art Festival is tomorrow and I’ve been busy getting ready for that. I’ve finished a commission piece and I’ll be delivering that soon. Although I have another class coming up in early December, my plate is beginning to clear some, so I’ll be able to spend more time on this portrait

            As with all my projects, I’ve been doing some planning and preparation. This will be a pastel portrait to begin with. The size will be 12” by 16” high and will be done on Canson Mi Tientes pastel paper – colored. What color occupied my thoughts for a while and I decided on beige. It’s a warm color. Her fur is termed buff, a light beigey tan, and the surroundings are all warm in color. I think the toned paper will serve as a good base.

            Backgrounds vary considerably from portrait to portrait. Vignettes contain no background, others just consist of abstract colors that complement the subject. Other portraits have realistic surroundings. It depends to a great deal on the client. I’m going to include a full background on this one. I don’t want the subject to appear isolated. Peaches was a part of our family and our home and I think including the surroundings she was a part of seems right.

            I’m going to try developing the portrait directly on the final paper rather than drawing it separately and transferring it to the support. I drew directly on the final paper with my portrait of Savannah and, right now, it seems the right approach. By carefully and accurately working up the proportions, and re-checking them as I go, I think I’ll do better than having to transfer a drawing. Details can be altered or lost when transferring from tracing paper to final paper. I’ll work up the drawing with vine charcoal rather than graphite. It’s more easily erasable when necessary and fits in better with pastels. It can also be integrated into the pastels to create darker darks.

Busy - busy - busy

 

This has been a busy week for me. I'm in the middle of preparations for the Rainbow Springs Art Festival that will be held this weekend in Dunnellon, FL. Also in the middle of teaching a class on colored pencil. This one will finish up on the 17th of November. And, I've just completed a commission - a Home Portrait of a beautiful historic house in Ocala, Florida. Consequently, I haven't gotten much done on the portrait of Peaches. I hope to get some of that done this week as other things wind down. I'm anxious to start the portrait.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 15

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 15

            This painting is complete! (except for some touchups here and there, and some minor changes).

            The birds didn’t take as long as I thought they would. The nearer, larger bird has the most detail, but the smaller, farther birds are simpler. Surprisingly, I used a large range of colored pencils to do the work. The pencils used were: white, French grey (10%, 20%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%), dark sepia (FC), Cadmium yellow (FC), Raw umber (FC), and Yellowed orange. I also used a bit of cloud blue and Sky Blue (FC).

            I worked on the largest bird first. I also used a magnifying glass to more easily work in the details. Yellowed orange and Raw umber were used on the beak, with a bit of Dark sepia for detail. The eye is Dark sepia, some Cadmium yellow and Yellowed orange. The legs are Dark sepia. All the French greys were used on the shading. I added cloud blue and Sky Blue to the greys for shading to liven it a bit.

            The moss in the trees was completed with Moss green (P) and 10% French grey.

            I will be looking over the painting here and there to see if any additional work is necessary. There is always a bit of touchup, something I forgot or something to go over.

            I’ll be taking a week off after this to get out into the mountains of the Southern Appalachians for some hiking and photography.  I’ll also be doing some thinking about my next project – and it may be a portrait. 

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 14

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 14

            Using the same colors and technique, I completed the grasses across to the right side.

I say “completed”, but I always reserve the right to touch up or modify parts. As I said before, I work on areas until I’m satisfied at the time, but I always check back here and there, glancing at various areas of the painting to see if anything “jumps” out and needs work. Many times I do find something. I’ll have to eliminate or add to an area, or add more detail.  For instance, one place I worked on over the past week was the entire mid ground tree mass on the right side. There seemed to be still some white showing here and there, so I went back over it, burnishing with more color until it seemed denser and more solidly filled in. I’ll probably do this with other areas if they appear to need it.

So, what is left now are the birds – the subject of the painting. 

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 13

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 13

            The grasses across the midground are one of the most complex areas of the painting. There’s a complex pattern of flower stalks, complexity in the bunches of grass in how they lay, and the line of pickerel weed that stretches across the lower third of the mass of grasses. I worked in a lot of colors as I tried to represent this vegetation.

            One technique that I used often to indicate the thin leaf blades was impressing thin lines with an embossing tool. The light colored leaf blades were achieved by first laying down irregular patches of chartreuse (P) and other light colors, such as cream (FC), cadmium yellow (FC), light ochre (FC) and naples yellow (FC). Then darker colors, chromium green opaque (FC), chrome oxide green (FC) and raw umber (FC) were used on their sides and stroked across the impressed lines. This produced darker shadows behind the lighter leaf blades.

The lines for the lighter leaf blades were put in with very light pressure with the embossing tool and the darker colors were used with care. Heavy pressure on the embossing tool would produce larger, wider lines that wouldn’t look real. The impressed lines can be done prior to any color being laid in, and this would leave white, sunstruck leaf blades. White lines have to be minimal in number or they become too noticeable. That’s why I did most of them after putting down some color first. The lines can also be colored in later with a sharp colored pencil.

The darker shaded areas behind the light leaf blades are the darker, deeper areas between clumps. They’re irregular in shape and transition into the lighter tops of the grasses. I also lightly impressed thin lines here and there before putting in the dark shadows to indicate stems of grasses rising out of the shadows.

The yellow flower heads and the leaf blades were set off against the dark shadows of the trees in the same manner. The flower heads were colored in with naples yellow and yellow ochre (FC) and then further burnished or impressed into the paper with cream. In most cases the stalks below the flowers were impressed in with an embossing tool. Then, the dark backdrop of the trees was colored in with chrome oxide green and Tuscan red (P). The pencils were used on their sides at first until the grasses were outlined well. Then I carefully worked around them until the background was dark enough. In drawing them in I tried to include variety in height and spacing.

The line of pickerel weed (the darker stretch of plants) was drawn in first with a graphite pencil, then colored in with chrome oxide green, chartreuse, naples yellow and chromium green opaque.

Some the darkest shadows and dark colors at the water’s edge were done with burnt umber (FC). A bit of orange here and there resulted from goldenrod (P) and mineral orange (P).

 

 

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 12

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 12

            The water is now pretty much complete. I continued to add layer upon layer to the roughed in reflection pattern in the lower right. Doing so intensified the colors. For the most part I kept the margins of the light and dark colors quite sharp. Within the lighter color patterns I did mix some colors, chromium green opaque (FC) and chartreuse (P), to mimic the gradations in value seen in the tree foliage.

            The water near the shoreline takes its blue color from the sky overhead because the surface seems to be disturbed by wind. The blue color was achieved by combining sky blue (FC), cloud blue (P) and a bit of cobalt blue (FC). Further to the right, beyond the wing of the egret, where there is an area of dark shadow close to the water’s edge, I added indigo blue (P) and chrome oxide green (FC) to the mix.

            The blue sky reflections in the middle were further strengthened with sky blue.

            I’ll be tackling the strip of grasses across the midground next.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 10

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 10

            I know said I was going to work the grasses after doing the palm tree reflections but I couldn’t resist continuing the reflections across the painting. Once I completed the reflections below the palms I wanted to see how the rest of the water would be integrated in. So, although I added an undercoat of chartreuse (P) to the grasses stretching across, I decided to continue work on the reflections.

            The palms were taken from another reference photo, one that did not have any water, so the reflections had to be completely fabricated. I basically produced a mirror image – of sorts – roughly, only roughly. The water is moving, so there are lots of small waves. The wind is also creating some ripples here and there. The waves would break up the images considerably. Part of the wave would be reflecting the trees and part the sky, depending on the angle of the wave. I referred to the reflections on the right side as a guide to what the reflections under the palms might look like. Only the reflections of the trunks would bear a near resemblance to the real trees because they were light colored against a dark background.

            When I finished the reflections under the palms they appeared a little too detailed, especially judging from reflections on the right side. So, I went back over it and scratched out more breaks in the images and further broke up the reflections until I felt they looked better. As can be seen from the photos, the reflections were just roughly sketched in at first to get the shapes and colors in, then I went back in to further refine them.

            After completing the palm reflections I worked toward the right. Here, I had photos to follow. However, I decided that I didn’t need to copy the reflections exactly as they appeared in the photo. I merely had to study the wave and reflection patterns and then paint my own in. I copied some of the main wave and reflection patterns shown in the photos and then added more to maintain the same feel. Once again, I roughed in the wave and reflection patterns lightly. Now I’m starting back over, adding heavier layers, intensifying the colors and refining the shapes.

            The colored pencils used to do the reflections were the same ones that were used to do the trees and sky.

            After the reflections are completed, I’ll start work on the grasses.

           

Still trying to solve the problem of uploading pics. Until then, check my website for photos. Thanks

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 9

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 9

            After getting all the palm trees in I thought next of doing the grasses that stretch across the scene, but I was anxious to put some water in, especially in the lower left. The palm trees were taken from another photo, pasted in, and weren’t on the bank of a river or lake, so there were no reflections. I had to create them. All I did there was to very roughly mirror the trees above, taking into account moving water. I estimated how much the reflections needed to be broken up by the reflections on the right side of the original photo. I also used other photos of similar reflections as reference. The reflections were very generally indicated to get the shapes and size, then detail was gradually worked in.

            The colors used were the very same ones used to do the trees and sky. For the tree trunks: ginger root (P), 50% French grey (P), and a bit of dark sepia (FC); for the foliage: chrome oxide green (FC), chromium green opaque (FC), chartreuse, limepeel (P); for the grasses: charteuse (P), limepeel (P), raw umber (FC), burnt umber (FC); and for the sky reflections: cloud blue (P) and sky blue (FC).

            Since the water is not still there was no need to match the reflections to the trees exactly, just give the illusion of being the same. I did try to match up the tree trunks a little more accurately because they stood out against the dark background behind them. The foliage masses of the trees were just roughed in. I made sure of breaking up the tree trunks because the wind was creating small waves that alternately reflected the tree trunks and background. Near the bottom, where the tops of the trees ended, the sky started to be reflected by the water surface but, because of the rising and falling water surface, the reflection of trees and sky were mixed. The science behind reflections is interesting and might be a good subject for a future post. There is a lot of information out there and it’s important for the artist to have an understanding of it to portray it with some accuracy – especially in this case, where there is no photo to copy and it has to be made up.

            This area is nearly complete. I’ll work my way across to get the rest of the reflections of the palm trees in, then go back to the line of grasses. I may work alternately on the grass and the water reflections below. The birds will come last.

Sorry, still can't get photos on this site. Check my google site or my website for photos.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 8

This has been a tough month for my wife and I. Our cocker spaniel, Peaches, a beloved and dear companion for 15 years has been struggling with terminal kidney failure, and despite all the intervention, is succumbing to its ravages. My heart isn’t in it to type a discussion of the past week’s artwork. She's been there, at the foot of my drawing table, through so many paintings. She'll be missed. So, for now, go to my website for the updated photos. Thanks.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 7

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 7

I’ve completed the smaller foliage masses catching sunlight within the larger mass on the right side. To add more definition and make them appear more real, I further defined the edges by working dark color along mostly the top edges where the sun strikes them the hardest. Here, I worked in naples yellow (FC) here and there as the brightest spots among broader chartreuse (P) areas. The more shadowed lower areas contained more chrome oxide green (FC) and even a bit of Tuscan red (P) in the deepest shadows. There was very little attempt at uniform blending because the splotchy, irregular juxtaposing of tiny lights and darks gave a more realistic feel for leaves. By adding multiple layers and pressing hard with the pencils, color intensity and density was maximized and very little of the white paper showed through. I was also careful to use crisp, sharp strokes to define the edges of the Spanish moss hanging from the tree limbs. Gentle curves to the moss gives the feeling of breezes acting on them. The moss still has to be finished up by adding some color and shading, but I’ll add that at a later time.

            My attention now is on the palms at the left side of the painting. The first task at hand was to lay in basic colors, lights and darks, shadows, and get a feel for the grouping of trees. Using multiple photos of palms as reference, I blocked in the palm fronds, both living and dead. Here, I added a few more colors as I felt they were needed. For the green, living fronds I used limepeel (P), chartreuse (P), chrome oxide green (FC) and a bit of chromium green opaque (FC). I used the chrome oxide green quite a bit to draw in the darker, shadowed areas. Doing so, defined the lighter areas. In the darkest areas I added burnt umber (FC) and dark sepia (FC). The dead fronds do add some interest to the foliage mass and I consider them important in portraying realism and providing contrast to the greens of living fronds. Here I used ginger root (P), raw umber (FC), burnt umber (FC) and some dark sepia (FC), as well as cream (FC).

            In adding in the palm trees, all I’m interested in at this stage is to rough them in, get the lights and darks in and get a feel for the structure. I try always to work from lesser detail to greater detail – block in structures and then refine them. This way I get a feel for the overall form and how the parts fit together to produce that form.

            From here, I will start working toward greater and greater detail and color intensity and density.

Still trying to work out the photo transfer problem, so go to my website for the photos. Thanks.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 6

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 6

            This past week has been very busy and I’ve not gotten as much done on this painting as I would have liked. I’m teaching some colored pencil classes and that has taken up much time. Also, my constant companion, Peaches, our wonderful Cocker Spaniel, is nearly 15 years old now and requiring more of our time. We’ve shared many adventures, many trips to the mountains, and hiked many trails together. She’s gone just about everywhere we have. Since my retirement we’ve spent just about all our waking hours together. My wife and I are devoting more time to her now, for her appetite is diminishing and we’re exploring all kinds of food options to coax her into eating more.

            On to the painting.

So, at this point I’ve nearly finished the tree mass on the right side – all except for the details on the foliage that’s catching sunlight. After roughing in the light and dark areas I began layering in the dark shadows. To do this I alternated chrome oxide green (FC) and tuscan red (P). To keep the area from being solid black I made irregular patches of Tuscan red. These areas, when combined with chrome oxide green formed the deepest shadows. Areas without the last layer of tuscan red were not quite as dark and suggested foliage in shade but not deep shade. This adds a bit of three dimensionality to the structure and keeps it from appearing flat. Here and there I added a bit of chartreuse (P).

            Next I’ll finish up the foliage masses that are catching sunlight. After that, I think I’ll start work on the palms on the left side.

I'm still having problems getting photos to post here. So, please check my website for the discussion and photos. Thanks.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 5

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 5 This past week I worked on the large mass of tree on the right side. I wanted to get them in because I was getting too fixated on the distant trees and wasn’t sure if more detail was necessary. Composition principles told me those distant trees should be ambiguous and indistinct but, without anything else on the paper, they took center stage. I had to remember they would be backdrop to more important and closer objects. So, I left them with suggestive detail and decided to work on objects closer up. I knew that once closer and more important objects were rendered, the distant trees would recede from importance – and that seemed to happen as I put in more and more of the closer and larger mass of trees on the right. Even at this point, having put in about half of the trees, attention is drawn away from the distant trees and they become more of a backdrop. The first step to painting in that large grouping of trees was to very roughly, and very lightly, block in the important light and dark masses within the larger mass of trees. I used the color sketch as a basis. The darker areas were roughly filled in with chrome oxide green (FC). Once the darker value areas were mapped out I colored in the lighter masses with chartreuse. Next, I started working small sections, slowly refining the shapes of each by adding more and more detail, filling in more color, strengthening the values. To make the darkest shadows I mixed tuscan red (P) and chrome oxide green (FC). For the lighter values I added chromium green opaque (FC) and naples yellow (FC) to the chartreuse. I’ll continue in this manner, working from rough to detailed, completing sections at a time, until the entire mass of trees on the right is finished. I'm having difficulty uploading pictures, so go to my website to view the photos for Update 5.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 4

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 4

            The sky is complete (for now) and I’ve started on the distant trees.

            I finished up the layer of cloud blue, moving from right to left. After that I went back over the area of the sky where there is a transition to a lighter value. The transition wasn’t uniform enough, so I touched it up with blue slate to make it a bit more gradual.

            The clouds next received some attention. Using the cloud blue I added more structure and volume to them, putting in shadows here and there. I’m going to leave them for now, and maybe do more work on them later. I’ll decide how much more detail is necessary by looking at them in relation to other objects around them when the painting is more completed.

            The distant trees are important because they contrast with the birds. I have to be careful how much detail I put into them because they could begin to compete with the birds. I want them to show off the birds by serving as a darker backdrop. The way I approached the trees was to block in the shapes, without any real detail, getting the values and colors as close to the color and value sketches as I can. After blocking the trees in I can start back over them, putting in detail slowly, until I’m satisfied. The distant trees were blocked in with chrome oxide green (FC), chromium green opaque (FC), yellow ochre (FC) and Tuscan red (FC). The Tuscan red, combined with the chrome oxide green, gives really dark values for the deepest shades. I changed the palette a bit from what I had decided on originally, adding the yellow ochre and deleting the chartreuse and white (so far). The warmth of the sun on the trees comes through more in the color sketch than in the photo, so I felt the yellow ochre worked better than the chartreuse, which is a cooler color.

            Now that the distant trees are blocked in, I will go back over the area and begin adding some detail.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 3

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 3

            I’m going to do this painting entirely in colored pencil. The size will be 22” by 13”, and I’ll be using Stonehenge paper. The first step was to transfer the pencil drawing to the paper. I then started on the sky first.

            Although it looks simple, the sky color is not. The value is darkest on the left and at the top. The value progressively lightens downward toward the horizon and toward the right side of the picture. Sky color normally becomes more intense toward a point directly overhead, being lightest near the horizon. The sky color gets progressively lighter toward the sun – in this case, toward the right. I wanted to keep those characteristics in this painting.

            I used three colors for the sky – sky blue (FC), cloud blue (P) and blue slate (P). I started off by putting in a uniform layer of sky blue (FC). I carefully worked around the clouds and trees, including “sky holes” in the trees where I thought they would work. After the sky blue layer, I put in a layer of cloud blue uniformly over the same area I previously put in the sky blue.

            Next, I started back over the previous colors with blue slate, starting on the left side. Since I wanted a gradual fade-out to a lighter color toward the right and toward the bottom, I gradually decreased pressure on the blue slate beginning near the uppermost clouds, and continued fading it toward the right, and also faded it out downward toward the tree tops.

            By this point the color is beginning to intensify. I started another layer of cloud blue, starting on the right and worked toward the left. This will be a uniform layer over the entire sky. I’ll see how the coverage is after this layer and decide whether to add an additional layer of cloud blue before touching up with all three colors to finish off the sky.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 2

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 2

            For the color sketch I used a blurred version of the final composition I put together on Photoshop Elements. The blurred version was posted here last week as the color sketch. I’m going to do this painting in colored pencil, so my next step is to figure out what colored pencils to use. There are many ways to come up with the colors seen in the photo. Many possible combinations. I also don’t have to come up with an exact match but I do have to come up with combinations that look good together. I like the combinations seen in the color sketch, so I tried to match them as close as I could.

            As I’ve done with all my paintings, I made up a color test sheet to find the combinations of colors I like for various areas of the painting: the sabal palms on the left, the sky, the water, the background trees, the trees on the right, the grasses and the birds – all of the major blocks of color. There are smaller areas that don’t show up in the color sketch that have special colors and those can be worked out as I go through the painting. I just want to get the main areas figured out now.

 

            For the sabal palmettos on the left I’ll be using mainly chromium green opaque (Faber Castell - FC) and cadmium yellow (FC) and green ochre (Prismacolor - P). The sky can be duplicated with cloud blue (P), sky blue (FC) and blue slate (P). The water, which is a reflection of the sky and trees, can be cloud blue (P), sky blue (FC), cobalt blue (FC), chromium green opaque (FC), cadmium yellow (FC), chrome oxide green (FC), chartreuse (P) and crimson lake (P). The crimson lake, added to the chrome oxide green will produce the darks greens and near blacks of the trees and reflections. The lighter areas of the near trees are chromium green opaque (FC), chrome oxide green (FC), chartreuse (P) and cadmium yellow (FC). The distant trees are chrome oxide green (FC), chartreuse (P), cobalt blue (FC) and white (FC). The grasses and herbaceous plants look to be chromium green opaque (FC), chrome oxide green (FC), chartreuse (P), white (FC) and cadmium yellow (FC). I’ve decided to do much of the birds in French greys (P) and dark sepia (FC). The beaks seem to be combinations of cadmium yellow (FC), burnt ochre (FC), yellowed orange (P), goldenrod (P) and raw umber (FC).

 

            These colors are the main ones I think I’ll be using. They’ll give me a good base with which to work. As I go through the painting I may need to add others.

 

            I can now start on this painting and I’ll begin by laying in the sky.

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight, Update 1

Work In Progress: Withlacoochee Flight Update 1

            Most of my nature paintings are of scenes outside my home state of Florida, either in the Appalachians or other far off, but equally appealing locales. However, there are some very beautiful natural areas here in Florida and I decided it was time to do a painting of one. A few weeks ago I was looking through some photos I had taken while boating on the Withlacoochee River. There were two that were appealing, but one offered interesting reflections, perspective and depth, as well as a mix of trees and grass that I liked. It looked like a good start.

 

            The scene was interesting, but I wanted I wanted to bring more life and motion into it. What better way than to introduce some native birds – egrets. I found some photos of egrets in flight on the web and downloaded a few in various flight configurations. I then copied them and inserted them into the original photo, moving them around and changing their sizes to see what patterns I could come up with. I varied the sizes and positions of the birds to make the overall composition more interesting. To introduce a focal point or center of interest (COI), I greatly enlarged one of the birds and placed it near one of the sweet spots – near the intersection of two lines that divide the picture area into thirds both vertically and horizontally. One of the compositions seemed promising.

 

            Although the latest compositions seemed to be getting closer to what I wanted, there still seemed to be a problem. The converging lines of the trees and water, as well as the line of birds, seemed to draw the eye off the painting to the left side. Something was needed to stop the eye from passing off the painting. I thought that a grouping of trees on the left would help. I looked online once again for cabbage palms (sabal palmetto), one of the iconic trees of the Florida wetlands. I found some and, again, downloaded the photos, and copied them into the compositions I had settled on. I moved them around, altered their sizes and proportions and fitted them near the left border. It seemed to improve the composition.

 

I now have two compositions that look pretty good. One shows the center of interest higher, with the trees as backdrop. The other shows the center of interest lower, with the wing breaking the line of the water. The higher center of interest is near the middle of the photo vertically, the lower center of interest is closer to the bottom third line – closer to the “sweet spot”. It seems to improve the composition a bit more but there still seems to be something a little off. The center of interest is now low enough but seems to be a bit too far right – too close to the right edge. So, I move the bird over left a little, nearer the converging lines one third of the way up from the bottom and one third of the way in from the right. Ah, that looks better. The center of interest looks a little bit too large, so I make it just a little smaller. I like the change.

Now, I want to see how the values look, so I convert the photo to black and white, then blur everything to simplify the shapes, and deal mostly with values. Everything seems good. The birds seem to show up well, the grouping of cabbage palms keeps the eye from wandering off the picture, the birds are of different sizes and configurations, as well as positions, and there is one bird set off by size and position as a center of interest. That bird is near a “sweet spot” and its white body contrasts sharply with the dark background. As a final manipulation, I blur the color photo to simplify the colors. Once again, the birds show up well, especially the center of interest, whose white color contrasts well with the green background.

 

All I have to do now is develop a color sketch so I know what colors and color combinations I’ll be using. I’ll discuss that next time.

Work In Progress: Louisiana Iris, Update 3

Work In Progress: Louisiana Iris, Update 3

            After completing the leftmost standard (petal), I completed the smaller petal in front of it. It is very light in color and required much less work. As with the previous petal, I started with lavender and defined the contours, creases and shadows, applying a bit more pressure in the darker areas. I then went over the lavender with lilac to complete it.

            The second standard, just to the right is a little more complex, with more value and color variation. But it, too, can be tackled in the same manner. Light to dark. I started on the inside of the petal, laying down a layer of lavender over the entire interior, pressing a bit more heavily in the darker areas, to get in the creases, puckers and shadows. I decreased the pressure on the pencil going down into the throat. Next, a layer of hot pink was layed down in the center of the petal, feathering it out to either side. I put a bit more pressure in the creases just to the right and left of the midrib. Lilac was added next, into the creases and into the shadowed area of the overlying curved portion of the outside of the petal. The center of the standard has much more red, so I put that in with mulberry, feathering it out to the right and left. The area in shadow required some mulberry as well, and just a bit of violet.

 

            After laying down the basic colors and tones for the interior of the standard, I went over the area again with lavender, lilac and mulberry to darken the colors and tone. Finally, I added a little canary yellow and lilac to the lowest, left side at the base of the petal going down into the throat.

            The outside of the standard was started with lavender again, first with outlining, then filling in, going heavier in the creases and shadowed areas.

 

            The next standard to the right, pointing to about one o’clock was next. This one has more intense color and darker values but can be tackled in the same manner. Lavender was used first to cover the entire interior of the petal, then I went a bit heavier to define the midrib area and the creases radiating outward. There’s a bit more pink color to the interior of this petal, so I added a light layer of hot pink in the central third of the petal, letting it bleed out toward the sides. Mulberry was added next, over the hot pink in the center third, with heavier pressure along the midrib. I bled out the mulberry to the sides also, but not as far as I did with the hot pink, so the hot pink still showed up outside the mulberry.

            Lilac was added to the right and left sides of the midrib, defining the shadows of the creases radiating outward and indicating the shadows created by the curving edges of the petal. More lavender then lilac again was used to fill in the petal. To get the central rib of the petal darker I used violet. Violet was also used just to the right and left, easing into the mulberry. I then went back over with lavender, lilac, mulberry and violet where necessary, to tweak and adjust the colors and values. The central area seemed to have a yellow glow, maybe from sunlight in the back, so I added just enough canary yellow to produce that bit of glow. The outside was completed with lavender and lilac in light layers. You’ll notice I kept a light edge to define them better.

 

            On either side of the standard that points to eleven o’clock there are two small structures. The one on the left is triangular in shape, the on the right more elongated.

Both are similar in color. Lavender was used as base color, going a bit darker for the shadows. Just a hint of hot pink added as well. The structure on the right is darker behind the petal in front, so I added some mulberry and violet to the darkest area on top. The bases of each lose the violets to some degree, with more yellow appearing. The bases of each structure take on a grayish cast, especially in their shadows. That slight gray color was produced by using canary yellow and its complement, violet.

            The style (the triangular structure in the center) and the signal (the upside down triangular structure below it) were done next. The top of the style is lavender and hot pink. A bit of violet under the edge indicates shadowing. The three gray patches on the lower part of the style were again produced by mixing the complements yellow and violet. Some yellow bleeds out around the edges. The signal on the bottom petal (the fall) is thought to be a landing strip of sorts for pollinators and so is colored brightly to beckon the insect. Canary yellow and a bit of violet is all that was needed to define it.

            The bottom fall (the petal on the bottom) was completed next. It is very similar to the upper one and was finished in the same manner. Lavender was used first to give a base color and then to define all the creases, folds and ribs. Lilac was used to further deepen the values and shadows. I then added mulberry in the center, using a line stroke to color in the four ribs running downward from the signal. Violet was added to darken the central area further. I purposely left the mulberry color in the ribs and darkened around them. The right side of the petal seemed to be more pink, so I added a light layer of hot pink to that side. The left side was left with the lavender-lilac color. Now that the basic colors were down, I just continued back and forth with lilac, lavender, mulberry and violet to deepen the colors and tones and maintain the shadows, folds and creases. I used care to work the darker colors up into the signal to make it stand out, just as nature intended.

            The outside of the petal required lavender and lilac on both sides, with a light layer of hot pink on the right, to continue the pink cast noted on the inside. That same pink was carried around onto the curved outer part. Once again, I left the edges more white to define them.

 

            The last standard on the right was completed with mostly lavender and lilac, once again. The darker creases on the inside required some violet and just a hint of mulberry. The creases on the bottom part are deep and colored in with lilac, a bit of violet and hint of hot pink.

 

            The Iris was completed in a little more than 17 hours. That’s a little more than the 12 hours of class time, and more than I would have liked for the intermediate level class, but within the range of capability of intermediate level students if they put a bit of time in on it at home in between classes. There is some detail in this flower but not too much. The number of colors used is minimal. By tackling one petal at a time, and using the same procedure for each, the coloring can be simplified. There are only a few layers of color laid down to accomplish this painting. It serves well as a next step toward more complex colored pencil paintings.

 

Work In Progress: Louisiana Iris, Update 2

Work In Progress: Louisiana Iris, Update 2

            Colored pencil painting is, by its nature, a slow process, especially if the goal is a lot of detail and density of color. Teaching a class in colored pencil painting, limited to a set number of hours, has to take these qualities into account. The Intermediate classes I will be teaching this summer and in the fall, twelve hours in length, go beyond the basics of technique to produce a painting of higher quality. However, even at twelve hours, there are limitations to the depth of detail and complexity that can be attained in a painting in the allotted time. And still have the students learn more than they would in an Introductory class.

            When I first started this painting, I assumed it could be completed in twelve hours. It didn’t take long for me to realize that, at the level of detail I normally put into my paintings, it could never be completed in that short amount of time. I was committed to the Iris as a project for the Intermediate Class, so I had to re- think the level of detail to include. I’ve posted here two Works in Progress on the Iris. Both show about the same amount of flower completed, but one shows a great deal more detail than the other. The one below with the higher detail took about twelve hours to complete.

 

 

This one, with less detail, took a little more than two.

 

 

 Since I won’t have the time necessary to complete the more complex painting in the next two and one half weeks, I’m going to continue on with the less detailed painting so that I can have it finished up by the time I’m scheduled to teach the class. I will finish the more complex version at later date. It will serve as a good example of what can be achieved with more time.

            The progression will be from lightest color to darkest color. And, I’ll be doing one petal at a time, carrying each from the beginning stage on through to completion before starting the next petal. First a layer of the lightest color, then the next darker color, then the next, and so on to the darkest color being used. Then, I’ll repeat the process again and again until I’m satisfied with the depth of color and detail on that petal or flower part. Then, I’ll go one to the next flower part. For this demonstration I’m using Strathmore 300 series Bristol Vellum. It’s a good acid free, neutral paper that serves well for demonstration purposes. The first step in the process was to apply a light layer of lavender over the leftmost petal, leaving only the brightest areas white. I kept the point sharp by frequently sharpening the pencil. Next I added hot pink to just a couple areas near the middle of the petal. Again with the lavender, I put just a bit more pressure to define the shadows, darker areas and folds in the petal.

            With the lilac, the next darker color, I put in more of the darks, though at this stage, the pressure is still light because I want to build layers slowly. The lilac allows me to define more shaded areas, more folds and veining.

            Mulberry is a much darker value and found only in the darkest areas – in the shadow under the over lying petal, and at the rightmost side, again in the shadows under one of the upright petals. I also added it to the ribbing on the left, near the edge of the petal. Violet, the darkest color, was next applied over the areas with mulberry.

            I then repeated the sequence of colors a couple more times to add more depth and intensity, bringing out the shadows and adding definition. Finally, I looked over the petal, adding one color or another as necessary make adjustment to bring the petal into agreement with the photo.

Keep in mind that the level of detail and intensity of color must be tailored to the skill level targeted for the class. Once that level of skill is achieved, greater detail and complexity can be taught with longer and more focused classes. If students are asked to produce results that are beyond the skill level achieved up to that point, they may become frustrated and lose interest, and that would be a shame. This Intermediate level class makes use of the skills learned in an Introductory Class to achieve a finished painting with more detail and complexity, but leaves open possible further development for more advanced classes.

 

 

 

Work In Progress: Louisiana Iris, Update 1

Work In Progress: Louisiana Iris, Update 1

            This summer I’m teaching a number of classes in colored pencil technique at On Top Of The World, a community in Ocala, Florida. The classes are part of an adult education program called Master the Possibilities that features hundreds of classes on a myriad of subjects such as the arts, politics, health, finance and history. I’m proud to be a part of this exceptional program that imparts a wealth of knowledge to individuals eager to never stop learning. I will be teaching introductory classes as well as more advanced classes on colored pencil painting.

            One of the classes I will be leading this summer involves the painting of an Iris – a Louisiana Iris to be exact – in colored pencil. It is a plant that I grow in my garden at home. I felt that it was not only a good subject for a painting but would be wonderful vehicle for teaching more advanced classes in the medium of colored pencil. The number of colors involved is not very large, there’s some complexity, but it can be broken down into nice bite size pieces, the basic techniques I’ve been teaching in my introductory classes can be used to complete it. Any students who are taking the class can get some fore-knowledge of the project, and anyone who might be interested in taking the class can get an idea of what we’ll be doing. So, for the next few weeks I’ll be taking you through the development of a colored pencil painting of a beautiful flower.

            After settling on the subject, the first step in the process is figuring out the colored pencils to use. Even though there’s a variety of values from nearly white to deeply dark, the colors are all in the violet group. As I look over the flower, looking at all those values, I look through my colored pencils to find ones that will match the colors I see or pencils that, combined, will yield the colors I see. I will be using Prismacolor Premier colored pencils for this project. The ones I pick out are all in the violet – lavender spectrum: lavender, hot pink, lilac, mulberry, violet. I add white because I’ll be using that in the lightest areas, helping to blend in the colors. Near the throat of the iris, on the lower falls, and the style just behind it, is yellow, and yellow is also evident as a yellowish glow on the inner parts of the petals near the throat. For the yellow I choose canary yellow. The yellow on the falls and especially on the style gets dark, a grayish yellow, which I think can be produced by using yellow and its complement, violet.

            With these choices of colors as a start, my next step is to reproduce all the colors and values in the flower. I might have to add more, or remove some, but I start with these. It’s best to work out all the colors and values prior to painting the flower because guessing as I go can lead to mistakes that can’t be corrected. Wasting paper and time is costly. On a separate sheet of paper I draw a lot of squares. Then, after I pick an area of the flower I want to reproduce, I choose some pencils that, combined, I think will reproduce the color and value I want. For instance, the leftmost petal has a rich variety of colors, probably most of the ones found in the flower generally. For the lightest area, I choose white and lavender and fill in the first square. Since there are transition areas in the flower, going from near white to near lavender, I blend it that way in the square to see if it matches. In other areas there’s more lilac in the mix. In others, I can see some pink. So, I work out squares with these combinations to see if they match. I’m careful to record my colors and their placement. The darker areas run into the mulberry and violet.

            In this manner I continue to fill in squares with different combinations of pencils to match what I see. Some combinations don’t work out, others do. But in this manner I’m able to eventually arrive at combinations that will reproduce the flower – even the areas suffused with yellow, as well as the yellow in the throat. As I suspected, a combination of violet and yellow gave me the dirty yellow needed for deep in the throat. There are always unexpected turns that I didn’t see in the beginning, but working out as much as possible before hand eliminates most surprises and makes for a much easier experience.

            The colors used for this project are white, lavender, lilac, mulberry, violet and canary yellow. I’ll be doing this painting on Stonehenge paper. Next week we’ll get started coloring it in.

Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 17

Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 17

            Just received the painting back from the printer, who made a digital image for me. There was little to finish up from last week, mainly in the lower right corner. There, the snow was piling up at the base of the trunks of the trees. I also completed the smaller of the two deciduous trees in front of the bridge. The rest was minor touch ups here and there. As always, when the touch ups don’t improve or change the painting in a meaningful way, it’s finished. So, I’m calling this one finished.

Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 16

Work In Progress: Glade Creek Grist Mill, Update 16

 

Nearly finished! Much of the foliage of the hemlock has been added, as well as the trunks of the other two trees.

            When the background woodlands and sky were added way back I the beginning, I masked out the trunks and most of the branches of the trees on the right. Now I went back over the masked areas with a dark mix of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, painting in the branches. The branches were painted in while leaving some white to indicate snow. I also added in many more branches than I had masked out originally. To add some depth I made sure that some of the branches would pass over one or more of the trunks, indicating they were closer to the viewer. I also made some branches thicker than others, and longer or more intricately subdivided, or shaped, to add variety – so they wouldn’t all be the same. Variety is important in keeping interest in a painting. Then I added foliage to the branches. I also kept variety in the masses of foliage, making irregular shapes and sizes and placement. Some of the masses passed in front of the rightmost trunk, others behind it. Some of the branches were made to look like they were coming forward, others backward.

The masses of foliage were painted in stages. I painted some and then stepped back to look at the placement, to see if I needed to increase the size or irregularity of the mass. I didn’t want to add too much, so I went at it slowly – analyzing each pass to see if there was enough.

Somewhere in the middle of all this I filled in the snow and ice behind the trees, then added the branches over it. I left out much detail in the background snow because it would be mostly covered up and I could add some suggested detail later, after I had all the foreground foliage and branches in.

The two lighter tree trunks, deciduous trees, were painted in with the same mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, but with a bit of raw umber. In this mix I kept the mix more fluid and transparent. Then darker mixes were added to indicate bark and give form to the trunks.

I’ll continue to add in branches and foliage until I think it’s done. Then finish up any other areas that need it. I was hoping to be finished this week but that didn’t happen. Should be completed next week.