Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Painting WIP

When last I updated you about my painting in progress, it looked like this:
Painting WIP
and, to unconfuse you, I showed you what I'm attempting to paint:
Dad and Nicky

Well, since then, mom and Bob gave me my birthday present early... an easel!!! Folded:
IMG_0582.JPG
Unfolded with the drawer pulled out:
IMG_0583.JPG
Paints in the drawer:
IMG_0586.JPG
Painting being supported by the easel:
IMG_0587.JPG
Isn't it awesome!?! They had been going to wait, but decided I could really make use of it for the acrylic classes I'm taking this month. I *love* it! It makes packing up and setting up so much easier. :) (I still have two other bags... I have too many paints, brushes, etc. to all fit in the easel, plus there isn't room in the easel for my palette, water container, or mediums.)

I have also been making progress on my painting. After the underpainting shown above, we were given homework instructions to paint the lightest lights, and the darkest darks:
IMG_0588.JPG
I completed this homework shortly before I had to leave for the lesson when it was "due". Whoops. ;) Then, at the lesson, I continued working on the snow and sky:
IMG_0590.JPG
I asked the instructor how to approach the painting, and she said to work in layers, from the back to the front. So, next I worked on the sky:
IMG_0603.JPG
(I did that last night at home. I'm actually finding time to paint at home! Well, a tiny bit of time...)

Tonight at class I spent two hours adding the thin, flat clouds of winter, and the farthest off bit of grass:
IMG_0605.JPG
Yeah... I don't know how it can take that long to paint that tiny bit either. ;) I think it's because I keep having to stop to let what I paint dry, before continuing to work my way forward.

Even if it isn't that much yet, I think I did a rather nice job on the sky and far-away grass/bulrushes. (The bulrushes may require some highlights before I get to the next closest bit, and the snow in front of those bulrushes definitely needs another layer of paint.)

So, once more, here's the painting side-by-side with the photo I'm working from:
IMG_0605.JPG Dad and Nicky
Yep, that faraway bit definitely needs some highlights. (Those also required me to wait for the current layer to dry... and there wasn't enough time at class, so I just cleaned up and left it at it's current state.) I think this is a painting that is best done in many short painting sessions. (Perhaps I should get a stay-wet palette for that, so that I waste less paint.)

So... whaddaya think? ;)

2 comments:

Unknown said...

My stay wet palette works really well. The paint I was using last night had been on my palette for 2 weeks and was just like fresh squeesed.

Sallie said...

I like the sky. I think it's going to be an awesome painting when you're done.