The focus this week was a new portrait. A 22″x28″ original oil on panel featuring Muscle Hill’s Kentucky Futurity victory at The Red Mile.
New projects are always fun.
But they don’t always come off without a hitch. With this project, the drawing phase went smoothly and was finished before Christmas. Getting the drawing on the painting surface was another story. The first attempt last Saturday was a bust and I ended up sanding it off. Not an auspicious beginning!
Monday’s attempt went much more smoothly and the project continued to progress through the week.
After transferring the drawing to panel, I began ‘fixing’ it so it would withstand the first application of paint. The strict Flemish technique requires India ink for this stage, followed by an imprimatura of a light, neutral value to tone the canvas. That concludes surface preparation and the next step, the umber layer, is the official beginning of the painting process.
I’m doing something different with this portrait. I rarely do an imprimatura because I prefer painting on a white surface. So rather than fix the drawing with India ink, then do an umber layer, I’m using Raw Umber straight out of the tube. Instead of just outlining the drawing, I’m shading, too. The results so far justify the risk.
Because of the change of procedure, the painting finished its first week with the umber layer very nearly complete. Just a couple more things to do and whatever tweaking looks necessary on Monday.
I’m hoping to create a new step-by-step demonstration of this painting, so I’ve been taking daily photographs. The final say is up to the client, however, since this is a paid project.
Saturday is usually ‘marketing day’. The day I spend time on the web site and marketing. This week was no different.
But this week, I didn’t do a regular weekly update with a new home page. I took an hour or two to create a new design that blends with the Fine Art America web site I opened a week ago. Available art is now featured at Fine Art America and portrait information is presented at the redesigned web site.
The new design is live so swing by and take a look. Actually, take a moment or two to look at the Fine Art America site, as well, then let me know what you think.
Until next week….
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