Pepper Portrait Week 4

I started work on the checkerboard squares in today's session. Since I did not have any painter's tape on hand, I decided to free-hand it. It's good to practice this every once in while to keep your eye-hand coordination sharp.

Since I started late in the day, I only finished a few squares. Still, I can already see that the Cadmium Red Hue and Cadmium Red Deep Hue are providing a good contrast to the other colors. When I add the black squares, it will provide a good contrast to the red ones.

All of the colors used thus far are just base from which I will add further glazes. Each subsequent glaze will increase the depth of the colors and subjects.

Pepper Portrait Week 3

This week, I added color to the table cloth. Using the compliment color to the yellow back ground, I set down a base Dioxazine Purple mixed with Liquin as a medium. To start to show the direction of light, I added Permanent Alizarin and Cadmium Red hue. For the shadows, I added Cobalt Blue Hue and Indigo.

Lastly, I added Titanium White to the lower cloth to indicate light hitting the folds. I also added Titanium White to the table top to make it lighter. These will be the base colors from which I will add subsequent glazes.

Next week, I will add the base color to the chess board.

Pepper Portrait week 2

Since I have to work for a living, I get one good painting day a week. This week, I got a late start and decided on just focusing on the background color. Once I add paint to canvas, I really start to feel the creative juices flow. Drawing has never been my strong point or something that I look forward to starting. For me, it is a means to an end. That end being allowed to put the pigments together and let the color explode.

Today, I used a 2" brush loaded with Winton Cadmium Yellow Medium and using Liquin to thin. Getting the background color allows me to focus more on the subject's face. As I progress, I will adjust the colors of the background to match the light source.

Here is Pepper:

The Pepper Portrait

This is the start of a new oil painting. My subject is a local pug/English Bulldog named Pepper. Todays post shows the first seven steps. The canvas measures 4' X 3'. Here are the first steps:

1. Transferred Pepper's image from a photo







2. Established the horizontal plane.






3. Added vertical lines.






4. Added a diagonal reference line.






5. Added horizontal lines.






6. Erased the reference lines.






7. I did not like the proportions. So, I extended the table plane.

There will be many changes as I progress. However, for now, that will establish a strong base.

Coming soon, posts about writing, oil painting and other ramblings.