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"

ELAINE PAINTING
oil
8" x 10"

Elaine painting along Charlotte Harbor. View from Live Oaks Park, Port Charlotte. The Punta Gorda VAC plein air painters always find cool, shady spots even during the hottest days of August.

ELAINE
oil
8" x 6"

HENRI AND JUSTINE
24" x 18"
oil
detail

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec painting Justine. Will show entire painting after the Lautrec event at the Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda.

ARLENE
oil
8" x 6"

Portrait studio sketch.

HOUSE ON BAYSHORE
oil
6" x 8"

View from Live Oaks Park. Cool, shady morning. My mom painted right next to me, along with a large group of VAC Punta Gorda artists and Connie, from the Englewood group.

GIRL WITH RED HAIR
oil
8" x 6"

VAC Punta Gorda Portrait Studio sketch.

PUNTA GORDA MORNING #2
oil
6" x 8"

A favorite early morning view from Gilcrest Park.

SLOW DOWN
oil
6" x 8"

Painted with Englewood Plein Air painters and Punta Gorda group at Artist Acres, Englewood, FL.