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.