Oil Painting of Nude Man and Woman Embracing

The Planning Stage:
As I began planning this painting, I knew I could easily find the body out of proportion due the much larger scale of the canvass - 48" x 24". In order to accurately transfer the images I decided to lay a grid over the photo. I divided the image and the canvass into eight equal blocks. From there I focused on the negative spaces within each grid block, recreating them on the canvass. The transfer was quite successful with some exceptions, the male's hand is out of proportion, his pectoral muscle needs to be elongated and the mouth needs to be less robot-like. I'm sure other elements will pop out as I progress through the painting.

Note for next time: Use much lighter pencil pressure as the lead is difficult to remove from the canvass surface and requires a thicker layer of paint to fully cover.

The Blocking In Stage:
As I began to block in the forms I realized I had not mixed enough of the same colour - yet again. Due to the size of the canvass, a large quantity of paint will be needed for the base colour. Therefore, I plan on storing a large amount in a small air tight jar to be used within a few days.

When beginning a new painting, one of the things that our art instructor, Cristian, emphasized was to ask ourselves what we wanted to achieve with this painting, what are our goals. So, from here on in I will share with you my personal goals for each new piece. I feel this will help in the direction the painting will take, the feel or atmosphere I am trying to achieve.

Goals For This Piece:

1. achieve a soft, sensual feel
2. use larger, looser brush strokes, with less blending
3. gain a better understanding of the formation of the human body

Merwoman in OIls - Part 4

She is now complete. After many hours and many adjustments I have finally completed the mystical merwoman inspired by my daughter's novel.

This week I modified the reflection in the water keeping it somewhat a duplicate of the face but much more blurred in order to keep the focus on the violet eyes.

I also spent more time on the reflections within the pupils, adding subtle yellows and blues to provide more interest and to create a more defined outline of the girl on the shore and the dead trees behind her.

CHALLENGING: the water reflection. I wasn't sure how much detail to add in the water. I definitely didn't want to detract from the main face so I tried to achieve a blurred impression of the main subject. I added the paint a bit more generously then used a wide dry brush to gently sweep horizontally across the painting in both directions, cleaning the excess paint from the brush with a dry cloth in between sweeps.

REWARDING: The eye reflections really came to life with the fine tuning including subtle colours that enhanced the images within the eyes. I used a finer brush with lose strokes to create a feel of fogginess.

NEXT PROJECT: While painting the live model (Man Relaxing) I discovered an interest in painitng the human form. During this past year in art classes at Art Mad, I have realized there is no better way to learn something new than to tackle a challenging painting head on, to steup out of your comfort zone and explore something new. Therefore, this next painting will take it a step further. I have found a beautiful nude photo of a man and woman embracing tenderly. I will begin transferring the image onto a 48" x 24" canvass this week and hope to lay in the blocking by the end of week.

Merwoman in Oils - Part 3

What began as an 'easy' project very quickly turned into huge challenges; first the symmetry of the eyes, then the reflections within the pupils, then the reflection within the water. Oh and lets not forget the correct placement of the hair.

In order to make the eyes pop I applied a golden yellow to the lid which complemented the purple quite nicely. The deep green of the hair seemed to enhance the translucency of the skin and frame the eyes with a bit more drama. The Prussian Blue and Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue with a touch of Lamp Black created a rich deep green perfect for the hair.

Although challenging, I've thoroughly enjoyed working on this piece - it has been rewarding to tackle a subject I would never have considered even a year ago. Not to mention, this is my first completely original piece. Yes I did use several photo references in order to gain realistic perspective, but the image was straight from my imagination.

Now that the main image is complete, I will work on refining the reflection within the water...as you can see the reflections of the eyes are not quite right, and the hair needs to be softly blurred/distorted.

My daughter is immensely pleased with the outcome and I am thrilled to bring one of her character's to life. A special project through and through.

REWARDING: The hair is much more pleasing than I had anticipated, and I was able to avoid the need to paint in ears...YES!
CHALLENGING: eye reflections, water reflections

Merwoman in Oils - Part 2

With everything now fully blocked in I began working on deepening the intensity of the eyes and adding layers of colour in hopes of achieving a more translucent appearance in the skin.

My first attempt at the water resulted in an unattractive greenish blue with brown that was completely unappealing. In my second attempt I pulled out a new tube of Prussian Blue - a vibrant, deep blue that worked quite well.

Now that the eyes are generally the same in size and shape, I need to tweak the pupil of the left eye and add in the shadow reflections to bring them to life.

Cristian also pointed out the need for the water to follow the natural contour of the face (around the cheeks and nose). So I will work on creating this important aspect effectively.

With only one class left I'm hoping to spend several hours on the painting this week in order to complete it next class.

REWARDING: The depth in the skin tones, the blue of the water
CHALLENING: achieving symmetry in the pupils.

Merwoman in Oils - Part 1

The focus of our next painting is an original work inspired by a piece of literature. The diversity of the class' selections ranged from spiritual interpretation to fantasy. My source of inspiration is near and dear to my heart. My daughter is in the process of writing her first fantasy novel and I felt pulled to create a scene from the pages of her story.

The subject I have chosen is a violet-eyed Merwoman with intense, mesmerizing eyes that reflectively mirror the world around her. She is slowly emerging from the lake water while observing the main character on the shoreline.

Challenging: Since the eyes are the main focal point of this painting it will be crucial to create exact symmetry in order to draw the viewer into the reflections on her iris and pupil that will portray the world around her.

Rewarding: I am very pleased with the result thus far. I have tweaked the shape of the eyes from my original drawing and will need to carefully construct the same shape. But, overall, I am pleased with the progress.

HINT: Our instructor, Cristian Aluas, suggested first drawing the eye on tracing paper in the exact shape and size. Then the image was transferred to the canvass on the right, flipped over and duplicated on the left to ensure symmetry. Also, working from reference photos definitely helps to provide the sense of realism that I could not have drawn out from memory.

German Steam Train 2003

In keeping with my hope of inspiring others and myself, I wish to include some of my earlier paintings to demonstrate a progression in skill. In 2003 I created this painting in acrylics for my uncle who LOVES everything trains.

Although challenging, I believe I managed to achieve the correct perspective. I find it interesting to see how much my style and skill have developed in such a short time. As a matter of fact, I still have my very first painting from 2001 and find it hard to believe that the same person painted it and my newest 'Male Model In Oils'. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to include it here....but I'll warn you it's not pretty!

Male Model in Oils - Part 4

I can't believe how much this painting has evolved from the beginning. I'm very pleased with the results and excitedly look forward to the next model. Hint Hint Cristian!

Last night was the last class dedicated to this particular painting, so I've brought it home to complete.

I managed to correct the sofa angles, add height to the front of the sofa and add details to the body.

There are only a few minor adjustments left to make and then it will be complete - left hand, the face, socks and curtains touchups.

Challenges: the details of the face and remixing the correct facial colours, the shape of the left hand.
Rewarding: the richness of the colours (love that Cadmium Red Deep Hue), the shirt and the sofa stripes. I've also noticed that my brush strokes are much looser and free.

Next Week: We begin working on an original piece inspired from a piece of literature.

Male Model in Oils - Part 3

Now that most of the painting is mostly filled in, I realize I need to work more on the angles and proportions of the sofa. The face is beginning to take shape - I've left this until the end since its the part that most intimidates me. Cristian provided a sample that encourages the use of the negative space to construct the face and its proportions-focusing on the angles, shapes, shadows and highlights rather than the actual features of the face. By doing this, the left brain's need to identify, label and construct from a preconceived idea of what an eye looks like is silenced while the right side of the brain looks at the details as shapes and angles, placing them together as pieces of a puzzle (learned more about this from Drawing On The Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards).

Challenge: Still, the left arm.
Rewarding: I finally mixed enough paint to finish an area without the challenge of remixing the same colour.Yes!!!

Male Model In Oils - Part 2

Tonight's class involved refining the painting, adding depth and contour to the body. I was quite pleased with the result achieved on the model's right arm and legs. I found the left arm, with its forshortening, to be quite a challenge and in need of more work and refinement. Our instructor explained that working with the negative space surrounding the arm would allow our eye to see the arm in a different light - hence the splash of burgundy.

Challenges - the proportion and angle of left arm and not mixing enough paint-again.
Rewarding - contours and shadows of the right arm and leg.

I am thoroughly enjoying working with the human form and find myself eager to paint more. Volunteers anyone?

Male Model In Oils - Part 1

This week's class is focused on painting a live model. Our subject is a man, approximately 40 years old, posed in a relaxed position on a sofa reading a magazine. Sort of a 'kick back and relax after a hard day at work' feel. This is the first attempt I have ever made with a live model. I have to say the experience is somewhat intimidating but exciting at the same time.

At first I felt somewhat guilty viewing this person as more of an object than a human. But after awhile, I felt myself relax and focus on the elements and nuances involved in creating a life painting.

The biggest challenge of the night was placing the first pencil mark on the canvas. With composition being the key to a well balanced image, I wanted to be sure the image was well spaced, placed and of an appropriate size to make an impact, while ensuring that the eye was not drawn off the canvas due to poor planning. Once our instructor, Cristian, gave us a time limit for finishing the sketch, I found myself laying down the drawing much more quickly and thinking less.

The next challenge I experienced was the speed at which I mixed the colours needed. I'm sure that with time, my confidence will build and the mixing will become faster and more accurate.

What I enjoyed the most was seeing the shape on my canvass begin to come to life with a likeness of the model.

All in all, I'm quite pleased with the progress I am making, especially considering this is my first time painting a person from life. I can't wait to see what begins to emerge through the layers of paint next week.

Challenge: Not mixing enough paint, positioning the image
Reward: Seeing the likeness take shape

Thanks to a dear friend of mine who is traveling the path of voicing her inner author through her own blog, I have decided to begin one of my own in the hopes of gaining inspiration and motivation as I discover and release my own inner artist.

As a child, I loved to create. Whether it be pencil drawings, finger paintings, crocheting or decorating home made cards with gold spray painted macaroni noddles, I needed a way to express myself in a fun and creative way. Being a shy child, it was difficult to find my outward voice. But through arts and crafts, I could go to a place deep within and pull out something fun, colourful, satisfying and rewarding. I could bring my inner world to my outer world.

Its not to say there were never frustrating moments....but those moments are the ones that encourage me to push forward and grow rather than give up. Those moments challenged me (and continue to challenge me) to find another way to conquer a particular element, media or style.

During highschool, my art teacher was my favourite. An eccentric fellow, Mr. Williams, with his flashing bow ties, sparked a passion within me for the finer arts. Over the four years we were with him, he introduced us to the history of the great masters. He encouraged us to explore many different medium and to try and try again.

When it came time for post secondary education, I followed a safer route in the field of computer technology, rather than partaking in an education of fine arts. Now, 20 years later, I have left my career in technology behind me and am delving further into my creative side.

Over time, I will share with you my experiences, joys and frustrations, triumphs and challenges and personal discoveries as I journey through discovering my own style. I will also post photos of my latest works for your truthful opinions and feedback.

Enjoy exploring my personal paintbox.

Lily Pads in Shades of Purple

June 2008
First Oil Painting

Last winter I enrolled in a beginner's oil class at a local art shop. Here we were introduced to water soluble oils - my first true experience with this traditional medium. Until then I had been painting strictly with acrylics. Although acrylics have the bonus of drying quickly which enables the painter to quickly cover their errors, oils are a much more organic experience requiring patience and devotion to the subject. I soon feel in love with the silky textures and the neccessity to slow down and enjoy the painting process without hurridly rushing through to completion.

The Exercise:
The purpose of this exercise was to work in shades of gray, focusing on the blocks of shade within the photo while at the same time lifting the need to accurately mix many different colours (which can be very frustrating for the beginner painter). Since I had already created a grayscale painting in the beginner acrylics class the previous semester, our instructor asked me to use shades of purples. In this class we used only the five basic colours - red, yellow, blue, white and black. As a new painter, I found purple to be one of the most difficult colours to mix. However, with patience and determination, I managed to mix the right depths and shades of colour for this photo (source unknown).

Hints to Other Beginners:
Having the right combination of blue and red is necessary for a vibrant luxurious purple. For this painting I used red light cadmium and french ultamarine blue. The result was a muddier purple lacking richness and depth. After this class I experimented with other reds and was able to create a variety of purples that revealed more characteristic hues of purple. Even though I enjoyed the thrill of creating my own colours, I can see the need for the pre-mixed purples, such as Dioxazine purple, available in art stores. If you should choose the pre-mixed option please be sure to attempt mixing your own purples at least a few times.