ASL Current Assignment

From there you can do a bit of blending, and you’re off and running.

As with all painting, you’ll probably have to repeat some steps many times. That’s OK, your paint strokes will be more assured the second, third, and fourth time around.

All that counts is how it looks when you’re done.

Upload anytime before next Thursday. Video to come.

Previous Assignments

Hands…

…are not to be feared.

Just remember to simplify.

Give at least as much attention to the palm, or the back of the hand, as the fingers.

A center line runs through the forearm, the hand, and the middle finger. Let the hand flow into the wrist.

Fingers are mini-cylinders. Treat them as one unit to start, then give them minimal separation with some warm tone.

Go a little more chromatic at the fingertips and knuckles.

Piece of cake!

For November 30, 2023

Getting a Likeness…

…as mentioned, is about getting everything right.

Sounds daunting?

Maybe, but it doesn’t have to be.

It’s a gradual process of moving from general to specific, one small adjustment at a time, each adjustment bringing you closer.

Look for a person’s little peculiarities. The nose may not be as straight as you expect. The eyes aren’t aligned as you think. One ear is bigger than the other, and the overall head is probably tilted.

The generalized version you started with is helpful. It keeps you from going too far with the imperfections.

For next week, revisit a portrait–one in progress or one you’ve given up on, but this time make a dead-ringer (that’s right, and you can do it) for your subject.

Remember to freshen your vision often, using a mirror, reducing glass, or by turning everything upside-down. Your eye gets comfortable with any mistakes and eventually stops seeing them.

Most of all, be patient.

This is especially challenging when painting someone you’re close to. But satisfying and a great confidence-builder when you succeed.

And if you’re intimidated by the masters, remember–their goal was to idealize their sitters (which they did) more than capture them (which they didn’t.)

Upload Anytime.

Once you’ve constructed the head it’s time to add some features.

As with all details, the operative word here is Elegance.

The features of the face should look like they painted themselves, with no apparent struggle.

Wet into wet is the way to do it.

Using medium-size bristle brushes {#4-6) and a fairly rich medium (1/3 —1/2 stand oil and the rest Gamsol) let all edges transition into the adjacent tones. It’s OK to start with some sharply drawn edges. Just soften them before the paint dries.

Look at this nose, masterfully painted by Swedish artist Nick Alm:

There’s practically nothing there, but it’s gorgeous and it works.

This method involves a bit of “over-painting.” Let the tones go a bit beyond where they should, then back to where they belong as you adjust the drawing, the shape, and the transition.

And it’s mostly technical skill. Practice and you’ll get the hang soon enough.

Last week’s full video will be available soon

If you’re not comfortable working this way on a portrait in progress, just play around with some features, by themselves, on a blank canvas.

Paint a half-dozen noses and you’ll always know how to paint a nose.

Upload before Wednesday’s class.

Gesture is the Music of the pose.

It suggests both movement and the way the body counterbalances itself.

Either way, gesture is essential to make the figure look natural. Otherwise, it’ll look stiff.

Get your gesture lines–the mid-line and shoulder and hip axes–in, right away, and be ready to adjust them throughout the work.

Let the limbs flow from the torso and be willing to adjust them too.

The head almost always tilts in some direction. It will probably be too big or too small for the body for a while, as in the example below (too big at first.)

The Block In is the Foundation or the Bones of the work.

It should be bold and simply stated.

Approximate all proportions to start (90% accuracy is fine for now). You can perfect them later.

Pick and choose between tight sometimes, loose sometimes, but always loose to start.

Just let the brush fly. It’s loads of fun and gives great results.

Option 2.
Portrait Block-In

Continued

 Portrait Study, After Sargent

Keep it loose, loose.

The block-in should look just the way it sounds: simple, flat blocks of tone. No fussing.

This is the foundation for you to build on later.

Start with angles, straight lines, and a limited palette of 4-6 colors. Use broad brushes with little or no medium and not so much blending.

Other Tips

–Cover most of the canvas as quickly as you can.

–Focus on the values.

–Approximate the color but don’t expect it to be perfect at this point.

–The width of a broader brush can cover an entire plane with a single stroke–one advantage of working with broad brushes.