Wings Over Winecountry, Colleen's place (1 Viewer)

[colleenc]

right Nick, just note that he wrote that for someone starting for the first time. Re the white thing, now I do sometimes one then the other, but still like a slightly toned canvas for oils

 

[Andrew Ellis]

right Nick, just note that he wrote that for someone starting for the first time. Re the white thing, now I do sometimes one then the other, but still like a slightly toned canvas for oils

Its an interesting point this about toning the support before painting I never have or very rarely and when I have done this on occasion it throws me out of balance . Curious really ? I will say one thing though I do like to get paint down as soon as i can to get rid of that expanse of white!

 

[colleenc]

I like the tone for several reasons,
gets rid of white as you say,

it suggests movements and forms in the background,

and third, one tends to judge values better when you don't start with white.

Sometimes on a painting where I want a lot of high chroma, starting white helps. Sometimes I do both, leaving some area untoned depends on how transparent I want to paint too....nice to have a variety of options open.

 

[colleenc]

OK Liam, this is about walking my talk, re the color charts.:king:

I've been obsessed and working on them every spare hour....first to get them done so I can start some plein air work, and second to avoid finishing the portrait:-O

Tho somewhat tedious, I'm so glad to have them, this am looked out my window at the pasture next to my cottage, grown waist high and pulled out the Cad Yellow Deep chart and bingo had all the colors I saw. This is one use, of them, besides all the color practice and knowledge I got from painting over 800 little squares ( 11 colors in each sheet in each combo, plus re doing 3 sheets over and painting some squares 4 times. ( those cussed values) Also discovered that there are always 2 I get wrong at the same values, so that is helpful.

when I took up oil painting after 25 years of using acrylics, 3 years ago, I used the same palette for colors I learned in art school.....I wasn't getting the results I wanted, maybe the colors maybe me:lol: and have spent the last 2 years dabbling around with stuff, Finally I got down to doing color charts from Schmids Alla Prima book because it's time to pick a group and get to know them so I don't have to keep adapting,


Here is what I ended up with... Tho it was a lot of work and some very tedious( the values) I'm glad I did them, as I now know what they each can do, This is also how Schmid suggest using them. Also if I do get a new color I can run a chart to see if it really adds or just duplicates my current group.

I'm posting the winners and one of the charts, I have some traditional earth colors, some of the cads and some modern colors in the group. Sure can tell the modern ones as they stay strong all the way down......Chart is set up with straight from tube at top then 5 steps in value down. The color chart has the mother color of the page, in this case Williamsberg Cad Yellow Deep, first then the mix with each of the other colors on the palette and 5 steps in value down on the mixed colors.

Here they are left to right. Doak Trans. Sepia, Dan Smith Sedona Geniune, a sort of terra rosa, Doak Transparent Blue Oxide, L&B colbalt blue, Mussini translucent Turquoise, Gamblin viridan( using this up and will take off or get a different brand) Mussini Verona green earth, Doak Florentine Lake, Williamsberg Cad Red, Williamsberg Cad yellow deep, Mussini Ural greenish yellow. There is a lot of range in this from strong to weak color and opaque to transparent, nothing looked dull or flat, so this will be it for some time until I really get to know it. You can look for some of my old paints on ebay, like the Bloxx bt sienna and some others:lol:

Now to finish the portrait and get back to the birds....sure do miss them, but seeing all the flock of current work being posted keeps me going.

 

[solitaryVSong]

Its an interesting point this about toning the support before painting I never have or very rarely and when I have done this on occasion it throws me out of balance . Curious really ? I will say one thing though I do like to get paint down as soon as i can to get rid of that expanse of white!

I was driving my wife into Philadelphia Center City the other day and we were along East River Drive, a scenic route that skirts the Schuylkill River. On the side we saw a plein aire artist set up with a 4x5 feet canvas on an easel. Painted brick red. Meanwhile the scene in front of him was all blues and greens. My wife was thrown for a loop and asked why. Though I've never used a colored background myself, either when I painted in oils or acrylics, I guessed that he must have just been toning the canvas. Still I just couldn't figure out why he wanted it brick red. Many local artists have studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts, a very traditional school, or so I'm told. So I just assumed he was following some mysterious tradition.

 

[colleenc]

brick red because that is the complement to all the greens and blues, and when bits of it peek thorough, then a nice complement vibration sets up and a harmony over all is created. I've done this with even deeper tones, and it's very interesting to paint on......not sure how this would work in acrylic, as I use oil, and the paints are more transparent, except the heavy impasto whites, which are piled on because of the tendency of oils over time to get more transparent.

If you've ever fought a too green too blue painting, try toning with a transparent layer of bt sienna, and see how it helps get things in harmony and makes the colors richer. A good reason to do this is if you work in plein air the bare white of the canvas will tend to make all the color mixtures too dark when you get back indoors, so out side is even more reason to tone, you get more accuruate mixtures.( the white glare, makes your pupils very small, the same effect as squinting so colors tend to look darker than they are, one reason to make sure you are working in some kind of shade if possible)

 

[solitaryVSong]

brick red because that is the complement to all the greens and blues, and when bits of it peek thorough, then a nice complement vibration sets up and a harmony over all is created. I've done this with even deeper tones, and it's very interesting to paint on......not sure how this would work in acrylic, as I use oil, and the paints are more transparent, except the heavy impasto whites, which are piled on because of the tendency of oils over time to get more transparent.

If you've ever fought a too green too blue painting, try toning with a transparent layer of bt sienna, and see how it helps get things in harmony and makes the colors richer. A good reason to do this is if you work in plein air the bare white of the canvas will tend to make all the color mixtures too dark when you get back indoors, so out side is even more reason to tone, you get more accuruate mixtures.( the white glare, makes your pupils very small, the same effect as squinting so colors tend to look darker than they are, one reason to make sure you are working in some kind of shade if possible)

Thanks for the explanation Colleen. I never would have guessed it. I just can't imagine trying to paint with that distracting color in the background. But then I've never tried it so I shouldn't criticize! I can imagine that working plein aire that the white might really be distracting as well though.

 

[RussB]

Colleen, I think it's marvellous that you take the time out to send all this information in. I don't have the time to read through at the moment but, rest assured, I will. Looks fascinating, even though, inexplicably, my eyes glaze over at the thought of painting.

An appreciative one

 

[colleenc]

Russ, thanks, but probably this will be not much help, there are not many oil painters on here, tho you could do it with acrylic, for you and your style, I'd say forget this for a long while, and just get a simple watercolor box.....think that would keep you occupied for a good long time. When I switched to oils there was a lot of technical data to be mastered, I'm still working on it.

Well I'm free at last the portrait is more or less done, a couple of tweaks in shadows in a few days hence when I can see it fresh.....OMG what a saga, I was trying to get beyond a "sweet child" painting, looking to contrast her angelic look with dark heavy fabric, tones, and textures....to get a little edgy like she was this pure thing in the world of our times of chaos...trying to show that with the colors and mood...Not many seem to get this, complaining of too many angles and heavy dark around her, wanting all nice sweet curves and rest, well who knows they may be right, but I'm just glad the agony is over and can't wait to get back to birds....

 

[username]

Colleen...i just had to say....that 'sweet child' painting you've just posted is simply quite stunning...!! Absolutely brilliant....:t:

 

[colleenc]

thanks User, and thanks for helping me see new ways with your thread.

 

[username]

thanks User, and thanks for helping me see new ways with your thread.

I have to thank all the artists on here too Colleen.....as...[whatever it is i'm doing]...it was seeing the artwork that was obviously one of the 'sparks' that lit my fuse....

'May the road rise with you'...........[quote: P.I.L...John Lydon]....

ps...all the best to you.....:t:

 

[Woody]

You'll get no complaints from me! Wonderful portrait and I personally like the contrast between the sombre greens and browns of the fabric and the raspberry sweetness of the child with her companion. Excellent work.

Mike

 

[phil baber]

Colleen,

Lovely.

I saw this in the early stages.

Welcome back to the birds! We've missed you!!!

 

[colleenc]

reworked the the left side of the face and now it is done and signed, this is the best likeness I've gotten on her, so def leaving it alone and going to do a bird to celebrate....

 

[clive2604]

nicely done colleen.the child glows,bathed in light whilst the background with its darker more sombre tones and subtle details detracts not a jot from the main subject,rather reminiscent of an old master style painting.

 

[timwootton]

Millais eat yor heart out! Skin-soft hues with a joyously youthful sheen - perfect middle distance gaze and sensitive drawing. A Crackerjack!

 

[solitaryVSong]

Very good. Surprisingly what strikes me most is the plumpness of the pillows. They look real as can be, not just a background to the main figure.

 

[ARTHUR BISHOP]

Superb painting Colleen

 

[phil baber]

1000 Posts!

Congratulations Colleen! :king::t:

I will celebrate in your honour tonight

B B B :cat:B B B