The Windmill Principle

The four conditions of tone in relation to surroundings. At (1) is light against light, at (2) light against dark; at (3) dark against dark; and at (4) dark against light. Note too that the subordinate edges at (1) and (3) are blurred a little more.

The resulting effect marries the subject to the background in a way that both separates it and embeds it.

Oil Painting Notes on the Shadow Edges of the Face

Oil Painting Notes on the Nose

Oil Painting Notes, The Nose

It’s a never ending process ,Oil Painting Notes

I know there are many artists today that use projectors or trace the image to get it onto the canvas accurately. And that’s fine for them who am I to judge if it’s right or wrong.

But I believe today’s generation is suffering from a loss of things truly man made. The human element has been taken out of just about everything we purchase. And its unlikely that this generation realizes it or even cares long enough to break free from there cell phones and video games.

Just ask someone in there twenties or thirties today where can I buy an oil painting. After a strange look you just might get a reply “they have nice paintings at Target or Wall Mart”.

Stamped out by the millions, sure they may look pretty but they have no contact with human hands and as far as I’m concerned there cheap, lifeless and disposable.

Mans obsession with perfection ,instant gratification and profit has left most homes with cheap copied machine made art. And that’s kind of sad considering the millions of talented artists that never get the chance to sell there work.

In my struggles to become a better artist. I’m constantly reading and learning how to do things the right way. It’s a never ending process and I know I have a long way to go. But the long journey will be worth every back breaking minute at the easel the day my work can stand side by side with the work of talented and established artists not Wall Mart.

So your probably wondering why all the notes lately, well.....I’m still on a big learning curve and I need these notes to stay on track as I’m sure many other aspiring artists do as well.

So if my notes can help anyone on there journey to become a better artist, then help yourself, because the world can only be a better place with more human beings creating art and not Wall Mart.

Oil Painting Notes, Proportions of the Head

The head is divided into proportional increments of one half, one-third, and two-thirds.

Oil Painting Notes, Scale and Proportions of the Figure

Oil Painting Notes, Defining the Features

Oil Painting Notes, The Basic Planes of the Head

VOGUE OIL PAINTING SERIES

Vogue Series 8

I’ve been working on this painting for a few hours now trying to capture the gesture, I’ll let it dry now and move on to something else. I don’t want to over work it too soon.

Oil Painting Notes, Painting the Negative Space

VOGUE SERIES 8

I started Vogue Model number 8 tonight, again no detail at the early stage just blocking in color with big hogs hair brushes.

I’d like to mention some good advice a friend of mine gave me when I was having difficulty in class capturing the likeness of an assignment.

She said to "try painting the negative space" (Thanks Pat ! )

This little bit of advice has turned out to be a big help.

The negative space is that empty space between the arms , legs ,contours in fabric, the space between the figure and the end of the canvas ect.

When you stop to look there’s negative space all over and it’s a great guild to use in keeping your drawing on track.

Now that I’m mindful about sizing up the negative space, I wonder how I ever got through a painting or drawing without using it.

Painting the light, in oil paint

Vogue Series 5


I focused on painting the strong sun light on her hair and the shadows on her face hidden deep inside all the hair.

I still haven’t touched the hand yet, but I’ll try to work the light into that as well.

Time flies when your painting

Vogue Series 6

While working on this one I started to get the feeling that it was late, but I didn’t think it was after midnight !

Time flies when your painting ....now I got to clean up and get my 4 and half hours sleep.

mixing grays and blacks in oil paint

Vogue Series 7


I started this painting by blocking in the large shapes in the general color.

Limbs Venetian Red, Naples yellow, Titanium white and the dress pink.

The back round is a mixed gray. I hardly ever use gray or black from a tube these days.

It helps me to squint while looking at the reference photo, this makes everything blurry. If I just paint the blur I won’t get hung up on the details to early.

At this stage I just want to capture the gesture.

I'll let it dry now and move on to something else.

Vogue Series Oil Painting

Vogue Series 5

So I stuck with painting number 5 for a while adding some interest with color and fluffing up that hair a little. I’ll stop here for now, when I come back I'll tighten up her face and hand.

Mixing Black in Oil Paints

Vogue Series 5

I went back into painting number 5 and tried to render the light in a more dramatic fashion.

I mixed my blacks from Phthalo green, Napthol Red, Phthalo blue, Burnt Sienna and Quinacridone Megenta.

Shadows help add dimension in oil painting

Vogue Series 4

I went back into painting number 4 with a clear idea as to what I wanted to do.

I wanted the dress to be abstract and for the shadows to add dimension making the figure pop off the white backround.

I’ll put it aside at this point and contemplate if I should go further adding detail to the face or leave it vague. In the mean time I’ll start working on another painting.

Multiple oil paintings with little pressure

Vogue Series 6

When I get to this point I just stop and start another painting, or go back and work on an earlier one. Feeling no pressure to add detail or fuss with it at this stage.

Vogue oil painting in progress

Vogue series 6

Blocking in general colors.

Recycling used canvases

Vogue Series 6

You may be able to tell from this shot that I’ve been recycling used canvases. I’ve been doing it for all the paintings in this series. I just find an old painting I hate and smooth it out a little with the palm sander (80 grit paper ). Once in a while I’ll leave in a little texture from the old painting just to add some interest.

Oil painting working wet on wet with liquin

Vogue Series 3

After this painting was dry I coated the whole canvas with liquin and jumped back into it, working wet on wet.

Oil Painting Vogue Series

Vogue Series 5

This gesture painting was completed in about 20 minuets. I quickly put it to the side to dry and went back to working on painting number 3. When I felt things were slowing down on number 3, I moved it out of the way and started a new painting. I’m trying my best to avoid procrastination and maintain spontaneity.

Vogue Series number 4 Oil Painting

Vogue Series number 4

Again I started this painting very quickly , mixing a few left over colors from the last painting to making a gray. Nothing fancy here just a rough sketch to get things going. Now I’ll let it dry and move on the another painting.

Quickly roughed in the gesture of oil painting

Vogue Series number 3

I quickly roughed in the gesture then blocked in the general colors of another oil painting today, but before I got into any detail. I put it aside and started another painting.

The art of overcoming procrastination

Vogue Series number 2

Day two I started another painting.

I’ll let the first one dry and come back to it with fresh eyes but for now I just want to move on.

I’ll take this second painting as far as I can go but before I start procrastinating too much on what to do with it, I’ll start another one.

Sort of like and assembly line, add a part and move on.