Irish Step Dancers

Irish Step Duo Underpainting

Although I never took Irish step dancing as a child, I was always an Irish Step Dancer wannabe.  In fact, if I'm at a wedding or party and I hear upbeat Irish Jig music, I'm the first one up looking for anyone else who is willing to pretend they know how to do a jig or a reel with me.  



Photoshopped Layout Mounted on Black Paper

As for those who really know Irish Step, I admire their amazing, intricate footwork.   Like accomplished athletes, they seem to defy gravity.   The dancers keep their trunks vertical and rigid, and unless they are spinning, their colorful and heavily ornamented dresses seem to barely move.  In contrast, their feet and curly locks are a blur.



Sketch of Light Pattern



This painting features two young Irish Step Dancers.    I began with a photo of one girl which I pulled into Photoshop.   I created a second dancer by flipping the original photo horizontally and downsizing it.   I then printed the two images and mounted them on a piece of black paper positioning the dancers such that they overlapped one another looking as if they were right in synch.    I then did a 5x7 value study sketch to confirm the light pattern (since the light of the reversed image would be incorrect as a reference).


Irish Step Duo - Stage 1


After establishing the background, I thought it was too boring and unrealistic.   Occasions that would warrant the pageantry of these dresses are shows and competitions that would include people, color and lights.   I didn't want to detract from the girls as the center of interest by including the audience, but decided to include just the essence of some spotlights.



Irish Step Duo - Stage 2

This painting experience was an exercise in painting design which was a lot of fun.  The only static element was the initial photo.   Everything else after that was designed, specifically, the second dancer (sized and reversed), the figure placements, the value pattern, the dress colors, the Celtic patterns and  the spotlights.


The painting is almost complete.  The one thing that I still may address is the pattern of shadows on the floor.   Since all the feet are off the floor, the shadows will be softer and scattered away from the feet.   I welcome suggestions.







Irish Stepdancers Stage 3 - Nearly Complete



Waves and Clouds Breaking

Waves and Clouds Breaking

A large low pressure passed just south of the area over the weekend and although we were spared the brunt of the precipitation, we still felt the ocean surge.   The surf has been up and the breakers were spectacular at this morning's sunrise.    When I got back from walking the beach, I ran into the house and grabbed a 9x12 canvas board, a couple of brushes, my palette, and a tin of turpenoid.  I was all bundled up from the walk and still pretty heated up so I put on some stretchy gloves and headed to the seawall to paint.

The plan was to capture the post storm breakers and clouds that were also beginning to break apart.  I didn't even bother with an easel and I painted quickly.  By the time I had cooled down,  this one was finished in the spirit of plein air painting - about fifteen minutes to be exact.  This is the jetty at Green Harbor River and the direction is roughly northeast.   What an exhilarating experience!



Yellow Beachwear

Yellow Beachwear

I am putting my recent Figure Workshop learnings to good use.    I chose this scene from our collection of vacation photos because I thought it had a very strong composition.  Credit for the photo goes to my husband.

What made it a good composition?   I think the primary pluses were  1) the extreme value contrast between the shadows and bright tropical sun, 2) the variety of shapes (rectangular beach chair, pointy palm reeds and the curved figure, and, 3) the figure has all the color and automatically draws the eye - appropriately - as the center of interest.

I painted a three value study of  the photo, black, white and grey.   I forgot to take a picture of it at that point which is too bad because it would have demonstrated how this underpainting really provided a clear blueprint for the finished painting. I let the value study dry completely and then painted over it, sticking strictly to the black, white, and grey values when adding the color.   I added the reflected light from the sand that shines up on the face and under the chin.   Right now it may be a little too light.   I will wait a week and take another critical look.

You may have guessed that this is me.   I'm returning to my chaise with two cups of salt water for painting my tropical watercolors.  There has been a suggestion that I add a paintbrush in my teeth.   I like the idea and I still may do that.  The question is would it add to the painting or take away?

Look at the Size of that Jellyfish

Look at the Size of that Jellyfish

After having put in the work on multiple studies of the Aruba couple on the beach, I prepared a new 12x16 inch canvas to produce a final painting of it.   The man was a bit stocky and the woman was a normal, healthy weight. I like when figures in paintings look like regular people rather than having an overly statuesque, or model-thin physique.

It was morning and the shoreline scene was busy with walkers and in this photo a couple was checking out a large jellyfish on the shore.   The woman had stopped to take a picture and the man was looking on.   Their preoccupation with the jellyfish resulted in natural, relaxed poses.

My drawing came together quickly because this was the fifth time drawing it.   I used Asphaltum (a transparent brown) to refine a warm underpainting that would be harmonious in color with warm fleshtones.    The woman was fairer in complexion than the man, but they both were mostly shaded because of the angle of the sun.   I used my Dark 7 mixture with a little ultramarine for the deepest flesh shadows (the man's left shoulder and legs, and the woman's thighs, both their ankles).   The woman's halftones were modified with some permanent rose since she seemed a little pinker.   The man's halftones were made more ruddy with some Venetian Red.   The lightest flesh tones of all were made from Gamblin's Flake White Replacement, (a transparent white), cadmium yellow light, cadmium red light and a touch of yellow ochre.  I smoothed these lightest areas on thick for maximum brightness.

The sand, waves, water and even the jellyfish seemed secondary to the poses of the two figures, so I paid minimal attention to them for this painting, and gave them a blurry look.  It is a super bright scene, so I am hoping it reads that way.

Figure Workshop Day Two

Thumbnails

On Day Two of my recent figure workshop, we were fortunate enough to have a live model.   The young lady, who was a high school student was very striking with strong classical facial features.  The instructor "dressed her up" by draping a warm red swatch of fabric over her lap as a skirt.  She also found a widebrimmed straw hat which she positioned forward enough to cast a sharp dark shadow over the model's eyes, accentuating her classic profile.








Black and White Study

We developed some thumbnail sketches, connecting the darks so that these accents would combine in a strong compositional design.  After the charcoal sketch we repeated the composition in black, gray and white.  Finally we painting the composition in color.

Live Model Color Study

Figure Workshop Day One

Charcoal Study

On Day One of this figure workshop our challenge was to practice designing our painting space with strong values and connect the lights and darks.   We chose a photo from which we executed:

• thumbnail(s),
• a charcoal study,
• a black, gray and white painting
• a color painting.   

Going to such lengths and repeating the composition multiple times before getting to a final color painting resulted in a true familiarity with the subject.   It also provided multiple opportunities to fine-tune the composition.



Charcoal Sketch

I began with a photo I had taken in Aruba.   A couple in bathing suits had stopped along the shoreline to look at a huge jellyfish.   The woman was taking a photo of it while the man looked on. 

The woman was blond with a fair complexion and the man was darker with a reddish tanned skintone.  Their different complexions coupled with the fact that the left shadowed side of the man stood out against the woman's right sunlit flesh gave maximum contrast.

The black and white study and the color study were painted side by side on a 12 x 16 inch canvas.  See the progression from the top.

This last photo shows the result at the end of the day.   If ever I was prepared to execute a final painting, this is it!  

The Concert Reproduction - Post 2

Concert After Vermeer - Stage 4

I have my Concert replica canvas on a dedicated easel in my studio where I expect it will be for several more weeks.  I am working on other paintings too, but each day I devote some time to the replica.  The painting size is large enough that I can work on a small area at a time as time permits.  When I think of Vermeer, I think of a muted color palette.   However, I just found a better photo than the one I started with and it is quite colorful.   I decide to use the first photo for drawing reference and use the better photo for color.    I like the colors that are starting to vibrate all around the painting.  It's too bad the stolen original is not available for live viewing! 

The Concert Reproduction - Post 1

Toning Raw Umber - Stage 1

The Concert - Johannes Vermeer

Did you know that there is a $5 Million dollar reward for information leading to the recovery of the art that was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum back in March of 1990?  

Among the paintings stolen from the Isabella Gardener Museum in Boston in that infamous theft was a Johannes Vermeer painting entitled, "The Concert."   Of all the paintings stolen, including Rembrandt's "Storm on the Sea of Galilee" and "A Lady and Gentleman in Black",  "The Concert" is considered by some experts to be the painting having the highest monetary value.

You may have seen my prior post which discusses a watercolor done by copying an image of Rembrandt's  "Storm on the Sea of Galilee."    A full 25% of the total views of my blog are the result of a search engine hit on "Storm on the Sea of Galilee."   I see this fact as proof that there are a lot of people out there doing remote queries in search of a painting that could lead to a $5M score!

Sketch in Paint - Stage 2

On my website I have other reproductions such as Fog Warning by Winslow Homer, El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent and an outdoor work inspired by Monet's Poppies at Argentuil.  It was educational and inspiring to paint these phenomenal art treasures.   There is no better way to study a work of art than to paint every last detail of it for yourself.

My goal in painting "The Concert" was to better understand Vermeer's palette and processes.  I cut, marked and mounted a canvas that was exactly the size of the original (28.5 x 25.5 inches).   Since this was a non-standard size, it was mounted on a slightly bigger customized frame, and as a result, there was extra canvas at the top and bottom.  See Stage 2 photo.


It seemed overwhelming at first, so I decided to start with the floor and walls. The black and white tile floor required careful measuring in achieving the proper perspective.   There were white tiles in shadows that were nearly as dark as the black tiles in light.   I concentrated more on the accuracy of the black tiles since the white tiles could be painted after the black tiles dried without extraordinary care by way of overlapping brushstrokes.


After Vermeer - Stage 3

As for the walls, after each painting session, I would rub out the remaining color of my grayer, duller, "dirty" brushes to cover the wall.  A smoky muted look started to develop which is characteristic of Vermeer's work. 

There was so much to learn and paint from this masterpiece.  There will be multiple posts on this one.