I’m afraid I’m not sure what I’m doing with this one. I’m working with some heavy shadows, which my previous two oil portraits did not have. I’m afraid it won’t come out looking right.
Though I’m sure no matter how it comes out, it will be good. But there’s always the fear…
I completely forgot – it’s been a year since I started up with the painting. In fact, it’s been well over a year. I think I’ve done darn well.
Saturday, I conducted a photo shoot with some models and a photographer, so I should have some more subjects to paint. Having original material will lighten my shoulders when it comes to reproducing work. Tom, the photographer who snaps the originals of the derby action I paint, was kind enough to give me permission to use his wok for reference. I appreciate it, but I still feel like I’m not completely original when I do that. Now, I’ll feel like I’m producing original content.
Speaking of – here’s my latest beginning…
This past week-end I gave painting outside a shot. I’d never done this before, at all. What’s more is that I was attempting to paint some landscape elements and some structures. I’ve never done this before either. All the while there was shifting light, high heat and constant distractions.
I don’t know how those impressionists did it.
Well, I imagine that they weren’t using acrylics. Nor were they doing it in 90° heat. My paints were drying before I could really mix them and get them onto the canvas. If I added water, I just got transparent mush. If I kept the paint thick, it wouldn’t cover. The light went from an overcast day to bright and sunny in a blink of an eye.
I saved myself some heat stroke and quit after an hour.
If you hadn’t been able to tell, I’ve been fiddling with online sales and posting my artwork. Instead of bashing my head against a wall of wanting my own all-in-one solution, I decided to take the easy way out.
A few artists I respect use Big Cartel, so I signed up over there. I also wanted a pure portfolio site, which this is not. And since my hosting company allows about a bajillion sub-domains, I set up a new one.
So I give to you… http://www.stmykal.com
It’s white. It’s simple. It has a big signature for a logo like an artists website generally does.
I’m well into my painting for June and truly digging oils. To paraphrase a line from the movie Hellraiser, “To think, I hesitated.” It’s going well enough and I’m mostly confident in my work now. The portrait is still not 100% accurate to the appearance of the individual in my source photo, but it’s fairly close.
I’m digging portraits enough that I bought an “old masters” guide for portrait work with a gift card I had laying around. Normally I’m not one for the “how-to” books, since I feel like I should know the important stuff. However, this book looks like it has some meat to it. We’ll see how it goes.
14"x18" Oil on Canvas Board. Work in Progress