Reflecting on Reflections

Reflections took about six months from beginning to end. I took photos along the way to share my painting process.

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Step 1: I apply flexible modeling paste mixed with a little paint (the blue) with a palette knife to create a stucco-like surface on the canvas. Then I use paint thinned with water to draw out the basic composition.

Step 2: I block in the major colors in a medium value (except for the figure).

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I started with a photo of my son I took right at sunset at Topsail Island, North Carolina several years ago. I always liked the very monochromatic (one color) look of the painting. It is that point in the evening where all the light turns blue and everything is very calm and relaxing.

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Step 3: Working from the background to the foreground, I work the painting into a loosely, realistic state.

After getting the back waves painted in, I decided I didn't like the composition of the diagonals. I added another layer of water in the middle picture. I felt it also helped keep the focus on the boy in the center to have the waves converging behind him.

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For most of this painting I kept my palette to a bare minimum: Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Orange, Titanium White, and Mars Black. When I got to the shading on the boy, the orange was just too harsh, I add several more colors at that point to get the look I was trying to achieve.

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Step 4: The figure. The first image is getting the shape and middle value blocked in. In the second picture, I correct some proportional imbalances in the arm on the left and the shape of the stomach & hips on the right. In the 3rd picture, I realize that my limited palette isn't going to give the depth in his body so by the 4th image, I've expanded the palette to sharpen the focus on the boy and his reflection on the shallow water on the sand.

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Reflections is about reflecting, the light on the ocean, the wet sand & the boy. The boy on the wet sand. The final painting, Reflections, 36" x 24" acrylic on canvas.

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Clean Studio Leads to Painting in Progress

That may be the last time I promise a post on a certain subject. Every since I said I'd post on how I regained some of my inspiration, I've been procrastinating on blogging...not a good thing!

Anyway..that post will come..its in my head! Until then, I need to get back to regular blogging.

My kids went back to school this week and I've been rearranging and cleaning my studio furiously all week. I finally cleared a path to my easel today and was able to work a little on Reflections. I forgot to take photos of the studio in the daylight, but I will tomorrow. It looks good!

Reflections is still very much in the beginning stages. I'm going to start posting a lot more "work in progress" so you, gentle reader, (who used to use that line?) can see how my paintings evolve. At this stage, I have primed the canvas with flexible modeling paste tinted with a little blue acrylic. I use a palette knife to create some surface texture. After allowing that layer to dry for at least 24 hours, I sketch in my painting with acrylic paint heavily thinned with water.

My goal at this point is to have the basic composition in the right place and all the major line up so I can see the direction of the painting's movement. Reflections has some corrections on it (hard for you to see though) because I didn't like some of the water lines that went straight across the background. I added some curves to the incoming waves.

Other news...my little art students continue to grow up! Last year I had a large amount of Kindergartners and 1st graders. Quite a few moved on up and my 2nd-4th grade students started to grow by word of mouth. Due to this shift in age, I've changed my Wednesday 3-4pm class from a K-1st to a 2nd-4th grade class. Class start in just over a week so contact me ASAP if you are interested! Click here for class schedule.