SUPER CHARLIE
oil
10" x 8"

Super speedy sketch in portrait studio. Letting my brush be messy and loose.

RACHAEL5
oil
24" x 18"
End of painting demo

Still have lots of tinkering to do but will end this demo here. Have many new paintings to post meanwhile.

RACHAEL5
oil
24" x 18"
unfinished stage 11

This is when I really mess things up. Good idea to have the previous layer dry so the paint can slip over. Brushing in areas on the flesh where I want to push the tone from light to dark. After scribbling these notations, a thin middle tone is painted over the whole flesh area. Again, working lights into darks and darks into lights. And the whole process can be repeated layer after layer until the painting is finished. Not exactly a "put the stroke down and leave it technique" like alla prima... but nothing wrong with experimenting in different styles.

RACHAEL5
oil
24" x 18"
unfinished demo

Stage 10. Background is finished.

RACHAEL5
oil
24" x 18"

In progress...

Still not finished. Worked on bench and background.

RACHAEL5
oil
24" x 18"

Still in progress at stage 8. Added buttonwood hedge between figure and background. Buttonwood has a cool, silvery blue color which adds good contrast to the warm tones in the painting.

RACHAEL5
oil
18" x 24"

Stage 7. Began work on background. A long way to go!

RACHAEL5
oil
18"x 24"

Using same method as yesterday, worked on skirt. Painted medium tone pink glaze and worked the darks and lights into it.

RACHAEL5
oil
stage 5

After teeshirt dried overnight, painted a thin glaze of middle value over the area, thinned with enough medium to see the underpainting through it. The lights and darks will be painted while this layer is wet. Blending is as easy as the alla prima technique (painting wet into wet), which it almost is. Will finish each area of the painting in this way, sometimes repeating layers until it's the way I want it to be. Found out about this technique in Philip Pearlstein's book, THE PAINTING AND TEACHING OF PHILIP PEARLSTEIN.

RACHAEL5
oil underpainting
24" x 18"

Stage 4. Worked on face first. Get that right and the rest will be easy. Looks better than yesterday's version anyway. Every painting goes through an ugly stage.

RACHAEL5
oil underpainting
24" x 18"

Stage 3. Ah, at last the smooth feel of oils. This is first oil underpainting layer. Working out color scheme.

RACHAEL5
acrylic underpainting
24" x 18"

Placed background behind figure. Scene is from my backyard at a certain time in the morning when the light filters through the trees. Same time the reference photo of Rachael was taken.

RACHAEL 5
acrylic underpainting
24" x 18"

This painting will be a demo, layer by layer.

First stage. Transferred image with the grid method. Rough sketch in acrylic for underpainting. (Gesso is acrylic and as long as the acrylic underpainting is kept thin, oil can be painted over it.) Want to push the values, lights and darks and this sketch gives me a good idea where they will fall on the figure. Painting will be done in layers, unlike my portrait studio sketches which are alla prima (wet into wet) and finished on the spot. My attempt at a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) was difficult and not carried through because of the acrylics. Now I remember why I hate painting with acrylics. The paint dries much darker when dry. Will try this method again in oils. A good example of the grisaille method is by Jeff Hayes on his blog. Follow my link to his site on the sidebar. Check back here later to see the next stages of Rachel 5.

MY LANI
0il
8" x 10"

MODEL SKETCH

oil
8" x 10"

Painted during Punta Gorda Visual Arts Center Portrait Studio, Thursday morning, from 9 to noon.

PLACIDA FISHMARKET
oil
8" x 10"

Colorful building put back together after several hurricanes. Loved the post in the middle of the yellow steps.

PUNTA GORDA HOUSE
oil
6" x 8"

A storm blew across Charlotte Harbor when I started this painting. Went back last Monday and finished it. Early morning sun was spectacular!

JOHN
oil
8" x 6"

Wasn't happy with this one until I changed background color. Still not very happy with it, but sometimes you just have to let it go. The scanner changed the values, flesh more like first one. Took right ear off in an attempt to make form turn. Right side of face is too big on first view.

DOC'S ISLAND REFLECTION
oil
6" x 8"