Lego Spider-Man and Bionicles oil painting

Here is a painting of my nephew, who just loves all those bionicles and legos his grandmother buys him.
I started this painting last year and stalled out on it. I was having the same problem as the red house painting where I couldn't get the right color balance. So this after noon I thought I’d take another swing at it with the same limited palette of Prussian blue, cadmium red, cadmium yellow med., burnt sienna, ivory black and titanium white. I painted over everything with colors mixed from this palette and things just seemed to blend together better. I still have a ways to go before it's finished, but I thought if I post it now then I may be encouraged to actually finish it.

Limited Palette

While working on this painting I just couldn’t make up my mind where I wanted to go with it. I ended up changing my palette of colors several times because I wasn’t getting the color balance I was looking for. The picture I was working from was taken on a gloomy winter day and that wasn’t helping, so I started experimenting with different color combinations on the canvas. This is really not a good thing to do on such a large canvas because it was both frustrating and wasteful. Next time I’ll do a small color study before I begin a large painting.
The palette of colors I finally decided on were burnt sienna, Prussian blue, cadmium red, cadmium yellow med., ivory black, and titanium white. This limited palette gave me every thing I needed. I really tried to stay loose on this painting using all hogs hair brushes and painting wet on wet. I just love how those Russian impressionists make it look so easy. If I keep working at it real hard I just might get it by the time I’m ninety.

Using my artistic license

Using my artistic license I’ve added some shadows in an effort to give this painting a little depth while strategically arranging things to help guide the viewers eye through the scene. Diagonals are always a good idea but the original photo didn’t have what I was looking for, so I added the string of flags. I’m hoping this element will help guide the viewers eye from the red car to the gone fishin sign up to the frog hollow sign to the lamp, through the tree branches and back down to the red car. I still have a lot more work to do on this painting, I want to fix the car up a little and perhaps add more detail here and there ,so for now I’ll let it dry and come back to it with some new ideas.

Color Glazing

Here’s the Frog Hollow Garage painting after a first color glazing, I mixed linseed oil and solvent in a small cup, then I added that mixture to the paints on my palette using more paint then solvent. I simply laid down a wash of color over the dried under painting and feathered things out with a two inch soft brush.

Titian's Process

Ok I think I’m on the right track now, after this dries I will continue to make corrections in the drawing while building up the painting with color from Titian’s palette.

Titian’s Palette for the first and third sitting: white lead ( flake white), yellow ochre light, burnt sienna, burnt umber, Ivory black.

Second sitting: white lead, Naples yellow, French Vermillion light, alizarin crimson, burnt umber, ivory black.

Fourth sitting: is the same as the second with the addition of Chrome yellow, Prussian blue, ultramarine blue.

Fifth and sixth sittings : white lead, yellow ocher light, French Vermillion light, alizarin crimson, burnt umber, ivory black.

As you can see this is a long process.

Titian's method of portrait painting

In the morning I like to paint with a cup of coffee while at night a glass of wine. For some reason the coffee paintings always seem to come out better.
So.... over a cup of coffee this morning I decided that Megan’s eyes were to high. Using a mixture of Cad. med. yellow, Titanium white, Prussian blue and Alizarin crimson I filled in the face and relocated the eyes. I have chosen Titian’s method of portrait painting, first because the man was a genius and second because it’s a slow process of painting and drying that allows me to easily make corrections and changes in the composition.

Close up

Here is a close up picture.

Adjustments

So.... after a few days of just observing this painting.... and with a little helpful critiquing from Megan’s Dad, I’ve made a few adjustments. Although I am pleased with the overall drawing there are still a few elements that I’m not so happy with, particularly the eyes. But at this point the under painting has already dried and removing the dark paint to expose the light canvas is no longer an option. Any corrections in the drawing from here on will have to be made with opaque paint.

Reviewing Progress

There are times during the painting process where I find it useful to hang an unfinished piece on the wall and just observe it for a few days. I take a lot of mental notes and review the painting while walking in and out of the house. I’ll ask myself things like, does the composition look right, is it balanced well, is the lighting right, is the drawing correct , will it capture the viewers attention, will diagonal lines draw the viewer to a focal point, what is the focal point, should I change it etc, etc, etc . Basically what it comes down to is when I come home from a long day of work and look at the progress of my painting, am I satisfied with what I’ve accomplished or do I want to rip it off the wall and throw it out the window.
Ok Megan ...you Know I'm only kidding about that !

From a distance

I took this picture while standing on a chair to show how different the painting looks from a distance apposed to up close.

Many Subtle Corrections

I’ve been working on and off of this painting for a few days now and every time I come back to it with fresh eyes I find something else that needs to be corrected. I will most likely do this till I get to a point where I just have to say this is the best I can do and move on to the color.

Difficult Challenge

At this point there have been so many subtle changes made in an attempt to capture a likeness that it has become exhausting. The nose, eyes, mouth, chin and cheeks have all been a problem. The grid method has proven to be a useful tool to stay on track but the slightest variation one way or the other has proven to render a likeness unacceptable. This has become a difficult challenge.

Portrait

I’ll be using the grid method to try to keep things in order here. With a painting this large I’m finding it useful to frequently stop what I’m doing, walk a good distance away and observe what’s going on. It appears that what looks ok up close does not necessarily read well from a distance.

Portrait Oil Painting

I’m starting a portrait painting of my goddaughter Megan and I’m working from a digital photo that I took a few years back..
Ever since discussing the works of Chuck Close in art class I have been interested in trying a large full faced portrait. Although the technique of Chuck Close is astonishing, it is simply far beyond my skill level. Still a portrait painting of this size (24"x24") is a big challenge for me, and the fact that it is of a family member will make it that much harder. Capturing the likeness of someone everyone knows is a very difficult thing to do. It would be much safer to paint a portrait of a total stranger but I’m stepping out of my comfort zone here. So go easy on me Megan !