Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Art class step by step







Tonight I went to art class. I arrived at about 8:15 p.m.,
and had to leave at 9:30 to come home and see my
favorite show, which wasn't on. (Too bad...) So I had
just over an hour to get something started.
I don't usually do something I want to keep in that
short a time space -- but I love the practice and
the company in the class.

Tonight I photographed some of the stages I
usually go through when I'm painting that quickly.
First I do an undercoat in a colour I like. Then
I sometimes start with the brightest lights. I sketch
a bit of a drawing in in charcoal, because it can
be washed off the acrylic if it doesn't look right.
After that I rough in some darks. Then I quickly
build the painting up with more paint, and maybe
more drawing. Our Tuesday night "class" isn't
really a class, because there is no instruction,
just a model and a group of devoted painters.

My portrait commissions take about 12 sessions,
getting both tighter and looser at the same time.
Each session lasts at least two hours.
I see problems and fix them, I learn the person's
visual language and try to capture it. But this
is what I did tonight.

Have a visualizing night.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

O I am so glad to see this step-by-step painting Barbara. It's just like being in class again with you.
I love how you build up your portraits and your use of colour.
Thanks for sharing!

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!