I'm FREE

I'm FREE

Monday, November 15, 2010

Bathtime, or Patience Is a Virtue

   I've been working on two commissions lately, and should be starting a third this week. This portrait is to be a gift [if it turns out well] His name , his "barn name" anyway, is Duke. Duke is about 11 years old, and has had a very successful career as a jumper. He's BIG [17 hh.] and extremely personable. I'm painting him for his owner, Barb, who has given me several tactful and much-needed kicks in the ass about my art. Thank you, Barb.
Initial sketch

Mask on, and aureolin wash

More yellow, some carmine [I've not used it before]

More carmine, some indanthrone

Too purple; here painting is, after bath

A glaze of aureolin again

Some burnt orange

More burnt orange, and indanthrone

Masking off; starting to thinly glaze greys
   Duke is a beautiful grey, so to show off the depth and variation of  greys, I needed a dark background. So I started by masking out his head and neck, and doing wash after wash. At one point, I realized I had gone too purple. What to do? That's where the bath came in. I took off as much color as I could, dried it, and started again. I think the background has turned out very well, despite the bath. And now I'm playing with the greys; right now I'm using three mixtures - a warmer yellowed grey, a neutral silver grey, and a cool purple one. Here's the Duke, so far ...

... and I've been painting, too

Original photo
Masked edges, and 1st glazes
Background intensified, masking removed
Colors started with rose and leaves
Finale

   I know lately it seems all I do is chase after chinchillas, and "play" with Bruno. But hey, I work, too [sometimes] I did this rose for the upcoming ShedRow Christmas Fair, to be held this coming Saturday. It's a small [9.5 x 7.5 in.] watercolor, unmatted and unframed. I will be putting the price at $80.00 Cdn. Another post coming tonight.