Formal Portrait: Business Portrait Part 2

Squeezing blue and white oil paint onto my palette and then brushing it on the canvas to make it look like fabric is always more challenging than I first imagine it to be. Working wet-on-wet, it was time to paint the dress shirt.

Stage 5: The underpainting. Blocking in the shirt and tie.The draping of clothing over the human form is always a challenge.  If you don't get it right, you know it. The folds and creases have to be believable. I tried to break the shirt down into general shapes and values while brushing the paint on with broad strokes.

Stage 5: Completing the shirt. Using thicker paint I paid close attention to my brush strokes and edges, adding detail but not too much detail. Now its time to let it rest. Next, the hands. 

Fishing The Arkansas River

This painting is the first in my new Colorado Landscapes series. Even though adjustments will be made after some time has passed and I'm able to see it with fresh eyes, I am excited to do this post and share the stages with you.

If you have been following this blog for over a year, you might recall the color study I did of this scene when Robert and I were spending a warm fall day along the Arkansas River, near Salida, Colorado. While Robert fished, I painted. With the color study I also took photos of him fishing. This is the final result, a compilation of photographs and the painting I did that colorful fall day.

Fishing the Arkansas
16 x 20", oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson (c) 2013

Stage 1: Loosely painting in the lines, freehand, of the shapes and figure. I used a wash of mineral spirits and Transparent Earth Red. Next, I started with the sky doing an under painting of Ultramarine blue mixed with Cobalt Blue and Titanium White.

Stage 2: Painting alla prima, wet on wet, I used a palette knife to add a lighter blue to the skyline of the mountains. I have a tendency to be frugal with paint so when I apply it with a palette knife I am forced to use more.

Stage 3: Completing the sky and painting the mountains. Using the same technique with the sky, I painted the mountains.

Stage 4: Painting the background of trees and bushes.

Stage 5: Blocking in the under painting of the river. In preparation for the water I brushed in this thin layer of color before I added the thicker, final coat, alla prima. I worked around the figure, Robert. 

Stage 6: The water and  figure. Robert was a lot more challenging than I thought he would be. With the sun practically over head, he blended in with the water. 

Stage 7: After blocking in the foreground with a thin layer of paint I came back in with my palette knife to add the thicker paint. After the paint was applied I used a combination of brush and palette knife to get the effect I wanted.

Here is the final painting with the color study I did last October. Painting from life recorded the colors much more accurately than the reference photos. I have never regretted painting plein air; I learn so much each time I do.

Visiting North Yorkshire: Final Painting #5

Confident
Oil on canvas, 24x30"
Rita Salazar Dickerson

I have never thought about a sheep looking confident before, but this one looked like she really had it together.

There was something about the way she stood and gazed at me with her dark eyes.

Her striking dark face and legs were the perfect contrast to her luxurious, wool coat and white muzzle.



The sheep's horns added movement and texture.

Since I was working wet-on-wet I wanted to complete the face and horns during the first session.

Using my color study as a guide, I knew which colors to mix for blocking in the entire painting.

I liked this zigzag effect that the stone fences created in the composition.

Once the painting is completely blocked in I can usually tell whether I am going to like it or not. I was so excited to mix large amounts of paint and start completing the entire piece.

The nice thing about painting a small study first is that I have given myself time to think about the composition and decide what I like about it and what I would like to change in the final piece. In this instance, I realized I wanted the focus to be on the sheep and took out much of the background.

Visiting Northern England: Completed Painting #3

Completed painting.
Bold
Oil on canvas, 20x16"
Rita Salazar Dickerson

I had to ask myself what it was about this ewe that made me want to paint her. There was something about her boldness, the way she carried herself and made her presence known. Plus there were the dramatic markings on her face and her thick wool coat; more than anything I was inspired by the random textures, colors and the light that played off of it. Having already painted a smaller version of her, I knew it would be even more enjoyable doing it large, using tons of paint and adding lots of color.

Stage 1: Drawing with paint, using a thin wash of Burnt Umber and mineral spirits.

I decided on a 20x16 inch canvas so that the head looked almost life size.

Stage 2: Painting in the dark markings.

Painting the ewe's face was the most tedious for me. I know it really didn't matter how accurate the black markings were on her face but I tried to get them as close as possible to how they really were.

Stage 3: Blocking in the rest of the face.

At this point it was just a matter of filling in with a gray paint around the black, blocking it in so that it would be ready for a thicker layer of paint (texture) to portray the ewe's fur. Painting wet-on wet, I wanted to complete this painting as I went, section by section.

Stage 4: Painting the face with a brush and palette knife.

At this stage I paid attention to color and value. Though it might be hard to tell from this photo, I used a lot of purple and blue.

Stage 5: Blocking in the body.

In general, I put more detail into my focal point, the face, and then used broader strokes and colors for the rest of the painting.

Stage 6: The background.

I followed the study rather closely for the background - keeping the strokes and colors varied and spontaneous.

Stage 7: Working on the ewe's neck.

At this stage, capturing the ewe's woolly neck and making it look thick and scruffy was my main objective. Once again I felt like I was playing with paint, my reward after all the detailed work on the face.

Stage 8: Completion.

It was rewarding to compare the final piece with the 10x8" study. To finish the painting I went over all of it again just to make sure I had everything the way I wanted it. I added more blue to her body and  lightened the shine in her eyes just a bit. I accentuated the edges of her wool and randomly pulled some of the paint into the background to give it a softer effect.

Visiting Northern England: Final Painting #1 Completed

Nurtured
24x30", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson

It felt good to come full circle and achieve my goal of completing this first large piece in my series. Doing the little study was fun but there was a sense of satisfaction seeing it painted large. I wanted this painting to be big enough to give the feeling of the sheep looking almost life size, to command a presence in a room.

Stage 7: Painting in the black.

I started by painting in the black markings on the lamb. (I mixed Ultramarine Blue and Transparent Oxide Red in equal parts to make a black.)

Stage 8: Blocking in the lamb.

Next, I blocked in the lamb's body with a flat brush. With this under painting still wet, I then began applying the paint, wet-on-wet (alla prima) with a palette knife.

While I worked, I kept my little 8x10" study close by using it as a reference for color and technique. It was  enjoyable using generous amounts of paint mixed with a paint medium, Neo Megilp; the paint had the consistency of mayonnaise -  smooth, silky and spreadable.

And now it is time to move on to the next large piece in my series. I think it will be a landscape.