Here is the (probably) finished version of The Princess - she was the last painting I started in Vytlacil, and was hung on the wall at the opening while the paint was still wet. Back then, she had a yellow background and grey clothing - originally she started as an exercise in using raw sienna as a background. That didn't work out - turns out the paint was both too opaque and too transparent for what I was after. Never mind, I'll try something similar on another painting soon.
So, now she surrounded by shades of green/grey/blue and is looking much calmer - originally she seemed to have a little bit of a sneer to her, which just did not seem right. A real example of the painting taking over and the reference material being left far behind.
Looking at her here on the blog it is clear I am very drawn to these types of blues - all my most recent paintings are very blue themed. Oh well. Guess I should keep experimenting with the colours . . .
Just spotted something I want to fix. A painting is done for me either when I run out of things to improve, fixing it means starting from scratch, or when it has to be taken to a gallery to be sold. How does everyone else decide?
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She really suits the cooler background. Makes her seem both more three dimensional and regal.
ReplyDeleteIn re finishing. Hmm. No short answer there I'm afraid. Sometimes I had such a strong picture of a thing in mind that once I reach that point, I stop. But sometimes, I don't stop, and me and the work wander off somewhere unknown, until there's some sort of concluded feeling happening. But I don't know where that comes from. With some of the line drawings, they're just finished when my subject moves, or my shoulders cramp from standing still too long.
Thanks, Donna - although the more three dimensional may also be because I did a lot more work on her face - my monitor here shows it as being very pink, though - its not!
ReplyDeleteFor years I was put off as I was told that artists had a strong image in their mind before they start - I never have, just a vague idea of how something may work. Oddly, this is true even when I work from photo's and when I do thumbnails etc.
Life drawings (and urban sketches) are really a kind of by-product of looking - choosing the materials kinda decides the general look, but after that there is little thought. Those where thinking is involved seem to turn out worse - maybe why I'm no good at long poses!