Workshop Wednesday; Casey Childs' Painting Oil Portraits From Life
When I take my copious notes during workshops I have a system of highlighting certain passages by assigning a number of stars to them or by calling some things out as "money tips" (my terminology for thoughts that truly add value to your painting). When I looked over my notes for Casey Childs' painting workshop, I found stars and comments littered through out the pages. What I am giving you here is some of the best advice to painting that I have heard, at least that is the way it struck me. Part of Casey's genius as an instructor is that he is a really good communicator and can easily explain both his working process and (more importantly) his thought process in ways that students can digest.
The following notes I took during Casey's Painting Oil Portraits From Life Workshop in October of 2017 at Francie's Studio in Purcellville VA:
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-Casey believes it is good for your painting to work on charcoal drawings in between, because it forces you to work on values.
-Working with a limited palette is also good if you are having problems with color.
-It is well documented that Sargent used lots of paint. You should too!
-Casey uses a palette of 3 reds, 3 blues and 3 yellows. Ivory Black, Flake White (lead white -does not use titanium white). Genuine Naples Yellow Light (Vasari), Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Transparent Red Oxide, Cad Yellow, Cad Red Light, Alizarin, Ultramarine Violet, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Viridian, Bice (Vasari), Ultramarine Blue, [Writer's note: may not be transcribed as a complete list of his palette nor in the correct order].
-Casey believes in pushing primaries together to make subtle grays. He finds & mixes color accordingly.
-Makes his own panels with gatorboard and linen canvas that he glues together using Beva Glue Film. He hand irons it together.
-When beginning a new painting he lines up the canvas at eye level.
-Starts with a thin wash of neutral color. A red + a blue + black.
-If anything is too warm he hits it with the complementary color. He is always thinking what he needs to adjust.
-Then he begins to wipe (with a blue paper shop towel) out shapes which immediately makes him think only in regards to lights & darks.
-Raw Sienna + Alizarin + Blue for the under-drawing. Today he is pushing the mixture towards warm because of the models red hair.
-"Get the shapes to relate to each other and you can start to get a sense of likeness without even drawing."
--"This simple block in approach is so important - spend the most time on that. You can't fix poor drawing with colors or edges."
-"Try and be a perfectionist. If you are tackling portraiture you have to be."
-Maintain the relationships of light & dark. Meaning, keep the values in the general same range.
-Starts working with color by jumping into the darks (Aliz + black).
-Observing where else you can use a specific color is a good way of harmonizing a painting.
-"Think of the biggest brush you can use for something then go one brush bigger. You get better marks that way."
-Uses the following mixture as his initial flesh tones; Ultra Violet + Lead White + Cad Red Lite + Yellow Ochre + Bice.
-Lays in color swatches to test value.
-"I'm slowing down. Just looking at big shapes."
--He purposefully dulls down the flesh color so he can sneak in more primaries, pushing the greys into one chroma or another.
-Casey observes on the model a blueish tint in between the shadow & the light (known as "the last light") and paints it that way. He uses subtle color to turn form. It is one of the cornerstones of his painting.
"I am trying to build the eye without building the eye (by building the large shapes). I put in my shadows, then suggest a color and then another value change. All those little notes come together & build the eye."
-"The areas that are not necessary I blur out or leave intentionally out of focus. With eyes for instance, I take my time & detail them well and in focus."
-"I often draw something by drawing the things AROUND it."
-"People often make the value of the crease near the nose way too dark".
"You can hold more paint in a bristle brush than you can with a soft hair brush so I often switch brushes to lay in more detail."
-"As I lay down piles of paint, I utilize them in creating new colors-- it helps harmonize the whole painting." Grabbing from the "mother puddle" to create new tones.
-When working on larger paintings he often starts the under drawing in charcoal and then works in a similar way to his demo, working general to specific. He works ALL the figures up at the same time. This allows him to bring areas into fuller focus and leave other areas more finished which gives more life to a painting.
-"Notice that I haven't really drawn the eyes or nose. I've been concentrating on the big shapes but because I have done that it suggests the other parts."
-Highly recommends Harold Speed's Painting Book.
-"Sneak up around the eye. Find the eye socket first then suggest the eye --only then do you add eyelashes."
-Thinks darkest dark, lightest light. The highlight on the eye is the purest white. All other lights are local color.
-Always maintain the relationship between shadows and lights.
-Local face color usually appears in the following "banded" manner (based on the amount of blood seen under the skin)---Forehead: Yellow, Nose: Red and Jaw: Green.
-Around the eye sockets things lean more blue.
ON REFINEMENT
-"Lead your viewer to the areas you want to stand out by how much refinement you do to that area. Think Rembrandt. Closer to the light has more detail. You can focus on a couple of features and bring them to refinement--but be choosy."
-He prefers filberts in bristle rather than flats.
-Makes corrections first (color, drawing etc.) when choosing what areas to start back into.
-"I paint like I am a millionaire (meaning use paint like cost is not a concern)."
-Color has a tendency to cool as it goes into shadow (last light) although on fleshy areas like cheeks & nose it can be warmer.
-"When painting the iris I am going to make that whole circle dark & then place the color on top. It is more pleasing that way."
-Likes using Trekkel Brush Restorer for keeping the shape of his brushes.
-Likes to paint with the corner of larger flat brushes.
"I think in terms of time when painting, especially in front of the model. For instance I will say to myself "spend 20 mins on that eye and then 20 mins on the other eye."
-Eyebrows--make lighter initially and then darker as it turns.
-Paints the darker circle of the pupil and then places the highlight on top.
-Don't paint a hard edge around the pupil.
-Load up the brush and add the lead white highlight to the eye, but be careful & delicate when placing! For this application he uses a Rosemary 279 flat 0 though he would have preferred a 2 or 3.
-In general key the nostrils lighter.
-"Refinement of value is all you need to turn the form on the nose."
-"It is important to work in value strings so that you can go up and down in value as needed." Incidentally, his value strings are not grouped by color so different colors merge together according to value to create his value strings.
-"Value is more important than color. If the color is close that's good but what is important is the value."
-He built his eye (with this particular model) using the value of the neck shadow and then simply adds more strokes of value on top, either lighter or darker, to build form as needed.
ON HAIR
-Lays in a middle value then will paint the darks & lights over that. Using a #6 brush or bigger. #10 for laying in the initial color. Used a palette knife on the shoulder to scrape back a little.
"Squint and paint the passages of light over the hair. Paint hair in one session because it will change."
I will end this post with one of his best tips so far: "Start everything with the middle tone value & then paint lights or darks into that (air, jewelry, features etc). And paint back to forward, always thinking about things in terms of depth."
Casey will be returning to Francie's Studio to teach another Oil workshop this April. He is honestly one of the best instructors I have studied with. I would highly recommend him to all of you and there are still spots available in this workshop. If interested, please email me at lagoarthur_studio@yahoo.com for more details.
Workshop Wednesday: Casey Childs' Charcoal Portrait from Life
The following are my personal notes that I took at Casey Childs charcoal workshop last Fall. Altogether I have taken 4 workshops with Casey. With each opportunity to study with him, I truly feel myself growing as an artist. And as a rather frequent workshop attendee--I can tell you that is a rare thing.
Normally I am happy if I can walk away with one or two new aspects of technique or approach in my painting after a workshop. Rarely do you attend a workshop where the instructor literally changes the way you THINK. And that my dear artistic friends, is really where improvements happen. We could talk all day about what brushes to buy and what paint to use but what truly matters is what you are thinking in that complex brain of yours that drives the brush in your hand. Seek enlightenment and your painting will automatically get better.
Casey himself is a friendly, laid back and humble kind of guy. He does not carry airs---he does not need to. His work speaks for itself. Casey is a regular finalist in the Portrait Society of America's International Portrait Competition. He is a sought after portrait and gallery artist and is represented by Principle Gallery, Haynes Gallery, Meyer Gallery and Illume Gallery.
Without further prologue, here are my notes from two relatively recent workshops I took with Casey at Francie's Studio, a private and intimate work space in Purcellville VA. I will divide up these notes between two blog posts that I will release over the next two Wednesdays as part of my "Workshop Wednesday" series. This particular blog post will concentrate on Casey Childs' Charcoal Portrait Drawing From Life Workshop. The second post will be on his Painting Oil Portraits From Life Workshop.
Charcoal Portrait Drawing From Life Workshop
-Casey says he draws and paints in the same way. He thinks the same things when he approaches both drawing and painting.
-He begins by taping two pieces of willow charcoal together to simulate a long handled brush. He uses a razor blade to sharpen it to a "big long needle point."
-Measures in the traditional way with his arm extended and straight taking comparative measurements, not sight size.
-Uses a brush to gently knock off or soften "area ridges" made from the charcoal line.
-Casey personally believes in using just a little bit of white chalk as an accent in his charcoal drawings. He says to look at the drawings of Fechin and you will see the same restraint.
-Prefers Canson Mi Teintes paper (in Pearl) and uses the smooth side (the side normally with the sticker).
-Be vertical with your easel and keep line of sight (eye level) right at the middle of your paper.
-Use your whole arm when starting out. Place "tick" marks to define the outer dimensions of your subject. Top & bottom, right and left etc.
-Shoot for life size of your subject or just under.
-Outline shapes. Think flat, think proportions.
-He uses the side of his charcoal too so he doesn't break the point.
-"Charcoal is similar to painting in that if you lay too much down initially you can't easily work with it."
-Often uses hard charcoal as a "stump" to push around and refine things more.
-He feels free to leave unintended marks -- "because it could add interest later on."
-He does use some lines as contour.
-Prefers to break up his drawing workshop over two days in this manner: Day 1 focus on shapes and drawing, Day 2 Finish & details.
-From the initial 2D block-in he begins to look at large forms first, turning form, thinking planes & light transitions but just on the larger forms. "Only once you have resolved that do you move on to resolving smaller forms and details."
-"The key to likeness is proportion. It is not hard to get a likeness if your drawing is correct."
-Casey uses calipers to measure proportions more accurately. He looks for areas where the vertical and horizontal are in proportion. Always measure horizontally & vertically.
-After a while trust your eyes if you have spent considerable time measuring.
-Hard charcoal is used to fill in the value (i.e. the gaps left in the paper from the initial med. charcoal pass).
-Uses soft charcoal to gradate flesh tones.
-"In the painting you can get value relationships much quicker. You must work at it in charcoal."
-Uses his mahl stick on the second day (details).
-Doesn't blend with his finger at all or stump. Doesn't like the look of smudges. Uses a piece of hard charcoal as his stump.
-He is most interested with getting his big forms right (turning forehead, shape of eyes etc. ...)
-Uses the hard charcoal to get the turning of the mid-tones.
-Recommends thinking of Andrew Loomis' "head in a box" when turning facial planes. "Helps you to think in a more structural way".
-Casey avoids working in a "window shading" kind of way (where one fully renders an area before moving on to the next) so that he doesn't get distracted. "You must be aware of the whole form."
"Form is edges. What makes an edge soft? Is it the light/shadow? Its all about relationships and how they relate."
-He takes it very slow when modeling the surface. Slow and deliberate drawing built upon observation.
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Casey will be teaching his 5th workshop at Francie's Studio April 14th-16th, 2018 and there are slots still available. As an instructor I could not recommend him more highly. If interested please contact me directly at lagoarthur_studio@yahoo.com for more information.
On a personal note I want to thank Casey for his generosity in sharing all that he knows with his students, and in particular with me. :) Thank you so much Casey!
Root to Bloom at Principle Gallery
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I am really thrilled to say that I was juried into the Root to Bloom exhibit at the famed Principle Gallery in old town Alexandria (VA) by the amazing Teresa Oaxaca. There are so many great artists in this show that I feel humbled to have my painting, "Feedsacks" (above) included. I am told that they had nearly 1,000 submissions to the competition and only 73 artists were selected overall.
There is currently a social media competition happening at the Principle Gallery for this exhibit. The artist who gets the most "likes" on their painting in the link below will win an award. I would really appreciate your "like" on my painting. Simply follow the link and click on my painting and hit like. https://www.facebook.com/principlegallery/photos/a.10154652878153383.1073741843.98926243382/10154652879903383/?type=3&theater
And I hope some of you will come out to the opening on November 11th from 6:30-9 PM. Thank you readers!
Abuelo and Alexander
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This past August I finally finished a very personal family portrait of my father and son which turned out to be a true labor of love, begun 3 years ago. My patient father simply waited until I was able to work on it, a little at a time, in between my portrait commissions.
My father is a passionate gardener and the background of this painting is my father's very own garden depicting his collection of azaleas, deciduous azaleas and rhododendrons. It is a fitting tribute to him and to the loving relationship he shares with my son. My favorite part being the tender gesture of their hands touching each other.
Awards for "Ben, Anna & Charlie"
"Ben, Anna & Charlie". Oil on canvas. 2014.
Finalist in “2016 Online Juried Show”, American Women Artists. https://americanwomenartists.org/gallery/2016-spring-online-juried-show.html
2016 WLAST Studio Tour
I will be exhibiting again with the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour (WLAST) next weekend June 18 - 19, 2016. Come see my work along with the work of potter, Carrie Althouse and jeweler, Dana Jansen at STOP #1 on the WLAST tour. In addition I am excited to share that all 3 of us will all be conducting art demonstrations, Tarara Winery will be giving wine tastings, Jules BBQ will have his yummy food for purchase and there will be LIVE music performances on both days of the event! Pack a picnic blanket and make a real day of it. Afterwards continue your tour at the other 30 open studios across Western Loudoun Co. If you live in the Washington DC area, this is an event you will not want to miss!
WLAST STOP #1 June 18 - 19, 2016 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 42498 Farm Lane, Leesburg, VA 20176
Workshop Wednesday: Robert Johnson
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Twice now I have had the pleasure of taking a Robert Johnson workshop. Both at the private studio of a wonderful friend of mine in Purcellville, VA. This most recent workshop occurred during the record breaking deluge of rain we received in Northern Virginia. However, despite the rain spirits were bright and the painting "spell" cast by Johnson was magical.
Robert Johnson is a master painter of exceptional skill and technique. His marks are in essence calligraphic--and he admits to having been inspired early on by the Japanese art of Sumi-E painting. This influence is evident in his work and separates his approach to oil painting from his contemporaries. The way he applies paint is a performance all on its own. He delicately controls the lift & pressure of his brush to accurately render the ephemeral quality of his subjects. Any opportunity to study with him is not to be missed.
One of the highlights of this recent workshop for me personally, was meeting an honored participant, the noble Statesman from Virginia--Senator John Warner. Senator Warner stands with other notable Statesmen (such Winston Churchill), who have turned from politics to painting later in their career. I thoroughly enjoyed the Senator's recollections of his time both as Secretary of the Navy and as a United States Senator as well as his anecdotal stories of celebrities and personalities he has known along the way.
Below are my notes that I took during both of Robert Johnson's workshops. I have placed them in categories to make them easier to understand and apply:
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Composition
-Decide which direction the viewer will travel through your painting.
-Concentrate on negative shapes, variety, design. Decide whether your design will go off the canvas--if so, let it go off in several directions or it will look like a shortcoming.
-You want variety in your set - up. Its inherent in nature.
-Seek a feeling of movement. Good proportion: mass of flowers to greenery to container.
-Using the convention of "polarity"-the juxtaposition of opposites, allows both objects to acquire visual impact. i.e. vertical/horizontal, bulky/delicate.
"The function of the background is to support the "prima ballerinas". It should not detract from the main event. The background should not be as thick, the values not as saturated ed, the edges not as hard, etc."
-"Strive to get depth, even on a front to back composition."
-"The eye goes to hard edges, more paint & bright colors. Be aware of this and design accordingly."
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Materials
-Works on double primed lead supports.
-Preferred medium mixture: 5 parts stand oil, 5 parts Gamsol (OMS), 1 part damar varnish.
-Lays in an "imprimatura" wash with cobalt, viridian & transparent red oxide. Puts down marks on top in a rhythmic patter which he sometimes allows to show through in the final product.
"What do mediums add to your painting? They loosen up piles of paint, make longer brushstrokes like in the background and can create transparency"
-"You need flat brushes to get at the delicacy of the flowers. Paint them with the thought that if you blew on them they would move."
-"All brushes should come to a nice sharp edge. Even your filberts."
-Begins laying in his drawing very loosely-brush held way back, long brushstrokes. Thins down paint with turps (OM).
-Paints with only one glove on his "painting" hand.
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Rendering
-On levels of importance: Values, then Edges, then Colors
-Johnson wipes out the flower masses with paper towels from his initial drawing to set up the structure . He lifts quite often.
-He recommends creating charcoal drawings on toned paper to get used to "lifting out lights. Wipe out like an artist--your touch should have the feel of going over a peony."
-"Paint the subject as if it is a under single source light. Ignore the ambient light."
-"Don't ever leave anything on your canvas that is confusing. Make it clear."
-Johnson often redesigns as he is painting. He will mutter to himself, "Let's make this little guy (a yellow peonie bud) white."
-"The moment you touch your canvas, everything should be done with artistic intention."
-"Don't think about sugar bowls and roses-think about shapes and how they relate to one another."
-"There is no democracy in art. The big forms always win."
-"Get to your final painting stage quickly so that all you have to do are revisions. Finish the big statement as quick as you can."
-"Always remember that perpendicular planes reflect the light the most. If you are having problems seeing or drawing try to remember that principle."
-"Try to put the light down horizontally-it will stand out more. Implies ridges."
-"The Rembrandt effect": Horizontal then vertical marks, ending on the vertical.
-THE 5 MIN RULE: "When you make a bold statement there is this instant fear that you have done something wrong. When you have that urge to change it-ignore it. Take a deep breath, recognize what is happening. Give yourself permission to modify it--but only after 5 mins."
-"Strength and boldness lead to more strength and boldness. This is the purpose to the 5 min rule."
-"Learn to make good descriptive brushstrokes. As the painting evolves each stroke should be laid down as if it is never getting lifted."
-"Maximize the utility of the highlight. Give them breathing room in your design."
-"The light (within a painting) can describe the intensity of the light on the subject, the surface texture, direction of the light, the contour that it is going over."
-On painting flowers: "Start with the outside shape of the flower, get that accurate. Then strive for the dimensional -the light and dark of it. Only then have you earned the right to paint a petal. Work abstract to detail."
-"Say the most with the least. Be precise and you can get away with suggestion."
-On the second day of a painting Johnson begins reworking the canvas by reapplying the background color so he has something to paint into.
-On painting rugs: " Try to establish a pattern. Don't be a slave to it. Rugs should have a clear, paintable pattern to them. Use the weave of the canvas to describe the weave of the rug (sometimes scratches the paint away with the side of a palette knife to reveal the weave). Say the most with least. Allow the materials to do the work for you. Go back in and restate the design of the rug but avoid getting mechanical & uniform with your brushstrokes. Use a light touch, get the paint just on the tip of your brush and drag it into place."
-"Brushwork should be a muscle memory thing. You should be able to render the object just by looking at it with your eyes."
"Just lay the paint on. No scrubbing. The paint will look better if you just allow it to do what it naturally does."
-"You need a blend of soft and hard edges. Let the soft edges dominate. Use hard edges sparingly. Especially in the background. "
-"If you can do it in one stroke it looks better. Start with a very light touch and then apply pressure-the stem will be painted naturally going from thin to thick."
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Values/Colors
-Follows thick lights/thin darks rule.
-Gets a highlight on quickly to key in the values.
-"A trick from Sargent's portraits: Add more light/color to the shadow of a subject--just past its contour. It helps turn form more and gives a sense of air."
-"Within the dark areas there are accents. The opposite in value of highlights."
-"We never think "dark" (values) with flowers but we should."
-On foliage: "Layer light over dark, dark over light--adds dimension. Overlapping planes also give you dimensional".
"Cast shadows are extremely important. Get them in early. They keep everything honest, related. The main thing I think about here is getting them dark enough and in the right places."
-On greenery: "Ultramarine blue + Cad yellow pale + something from the red family. Always sneak red into your greens."
-On painting red roses: "Don't make lights, lighter- make darks, darker. White only makes red look chalky."
-"Be careful painting yellow roses. It is the color most easily adulterated. It turns the key way down when other colors are accidentally introduced to it".
Recommended Reading
-"Painting Techniques of the Masters", Hereward Lester Cook
-"Russia, the Land, the People"
-"The Painted Word", Tom Wolfe
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Art Tourist: Seeking Andrew Wyeth
Suzanne Lago Arthur outside of Andrew Wyeth’s studio
Last November, my family and I made a very special pilgrimage to the Brandywine Museum, but more specifically to the studio of the late great Andrew Wyeth and to the Kuerner Farm that he immortalized. I have been a huge fan of Andrew since my childhood and a couple of years back was also able to visit the Olson property in Maine that he made famous in his painting "Cristina's World". Little did I realize that the great man is buried there or I would have introduced myself to him properly, paid my respects and thanked him for all the years of inspiration.
Every year since my trip to Maine, I have promised myself that I would go see his studio in Chadds Ford, which is only open for part of the year. And every year it seems I would miss the window. But finally during last November I made it and on the very last weekend that it was open. Hooray!
So you may be asking yourself why I am writing this post now? Because the studio is open again for tours from April 1st - Nov 20th. Chadds Ford is beautiful during this time of the year. If you are a fan of the Wyeths as I am, you will not want to miss the opportunity to experience their world and the huge impression they left behind in the Pennsylvanian countryside.
Andrew Wyeth Studio, Chadds Ford, PA
Andrew's studio is set up exactly as the artist left it. As if he has just stepped out of his studio for one of his regular walks in the surrounding countryside. There are drawings (reproductions) strewn throughout the floor. Egg tempera supplies still await his skillful hands and jars of luminous dry pigments line a window's ledge.
Copy of Andrew Wyeth drawings
Jamie Wyeth’s Corner, Chadds Ford, PA
Andrew Wyeth’s Book Collection, Chadds Ford, PA
We were able to see the Kuerner Farm as well which was a huge treat considering that Andrew produced over 370 works of art on the property. There is a wonderful book documenting his time and productivity on the farm called "Wyeth at Kuerners". It is out of print now but if you are able to get a hold of a copy, I would highly recommend it. It contains a personal narrative told by Andrew on each of his paintings from this series including all the preliminary drawings. It is an invaluable insight into the process of a great American master artist. I got my treasured copy from a wonderful friend (thank you again, Karen) but I have seen them available any where from $8 - $249. The curatorial staff at the Brandywine even reads from it during their tours.
The Kuerner House
Kuerner House, “Evening At The Kuerner’s”, Andrew Wyeth
Above the sink in Kuerner's Barn. Painting by Andrew Wyeth, “Spring Fed”
My tired son enjoying the view on the Kuerner front porch after a long day of “arting” with Mom.
Workshop Wednesday: Teresa Oaxaca, the Figure in Charcoal
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This past weekend I ushered in the New Year with a bang by attending Teresa Oaxaca's "Figure in Charcoal" workshop at the Art League in Alexandria, VA on Jan 2 - Jan 3rd. Considering that just the day before the workshop I was a little sleep deprived--and ok, maybe still "recovering" from the festivities, I was really happy and perhaps a little surprised when everything "clicked" for me during the workshop. But perhaps I shouldn't have been, Teresa Oaxaca has a lot to share with her fellow artists so listen up.
Full disclosure: I have been a big Teresa Oaxaca fan from the very first moment I met her in Rob Liberace's classes at the Art League. In fact, I own two of her self portrait drawings and one of her etchings (hint: when she says something is unsold over social media, that is your cue that you can purchase it). Teresa is one of my favorite contemporary artists and in my opinion the most promising. I just love the boldness of her charcoal drawings, the mixture of the gestural abstraction and rendered form. They are exquisite. And the fact that Teresa herself is super sweet and down to earth--I just knew I could learn a lot from her and I definitely did.
The following are my notes from the workshop and I hope you gain as much enlightenment from them as I did.
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-Teresa's block-in is a big envelope, very loose, light & gestural.
-Sometimes the looseness (gesture) from the beginning is kept through the piece {I would add that it is this initial gesture that gives so much life & contrast of textures in her drawings}.
-She begins with a jumbo soft charcoal piece and initially adds a center line, eye line & forehead line followed by the shadow shapes of the eyes and nose. The rendering of the mouth and chin come second.
-Prefers Canson Mi Tientes paper (smooth side) and vine charcoal.
-Teresa uses a lot of straight hatching lines. "Easier to get structure in and keep it that way."
-Usually works life sized and steps back from the easel often to check her drawing.
-If you want to use crazy, energetic hatch lines like Sargent did in his charcoals (and Teresa does) you must have a solid geometric structure underneath {This subtle but powerful advice was one of the things that really resonated for me}.
In process shots from Teresa Oaxaca's charcoal portrait demo.
-"Geometric shapes render & anchor the drawing."
-Her subjects start off looking more exaggerated in the beginning and then get more accurate as she continues working.
-She spends most of her time developing the light & shadow areas and then will knit them together.
-The nature of charcoal is that it is just dust. Get used to the fact that you will be constantly readdressing your darks throughout the process of creating a drawing.
-Uses a brush to soften along the core shadow on a cheekbone or will just drag the charcoal across.
-Shadows are solid, mid tones are a combination of blending or hatching (veiling).
-"I like to put the directional changes in the shadow shapes."
-She will often put a little speck of white chalk highlight in order to key her values {again, advice worth the price of admission right here}.
-"If your drawing is failing it is because you are not obeying the light/dark patterns."
-Ask yourself on the simplest of Master drawings, "What makes this really work?". Dissect and understand it.
-Most of the drawing will be carried by the in-between places that are either smudged or hatched.
-Make sure the shadow pattern is correct, even on a smaller form like the eye. The big shapes still need to be rendered on the smaller forms. Same rules apply!
-If you know you don't have time, stick to developing structure.
-She often veils in highlights on the planes of the forehead.
-Sargent spent all of his time on the structure and would throw his characteristic slap-dash bravura mark at the very last minute.
-If you don't plan on rendering an area leave it as a block-in or else you will be forced to fully resolve it.
-Gesture is the foundation of a minimalist drawing.
-Take pictures every half hour, it will reveal your own process to you. It also works as a mirror to show you your mistakes.
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I want to personally thank Teresa for a wonderful workshop experience. Prior to this workshop, I never felt completely in control with Charcoal but I definitely feel more in control now and intend on practicing with it more often.
You can follow Teresa Oaxaca and her blog at her website www.teresaoaxaca.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teresaoaxacafineart, on twitter and Instagram at @teresaoaxaca.
Suggested Reading: "Summer in February"
Munnings Alfred - The Morning Ride
A recent trip to San Francisco allowed me the luxury of doing something I seldom do anymore, start a novel and finish it within one week. But this book, "Summer in February" by Jonathan Smith, about a community of artists living and working on the coast of West Cornwall during the last throes of the Edwardian era, had me in its spell from the very first chapter. The brightest star among them was the boisterous and infamous equestrian and landscape painter, Sir Alfred Munnings. It is the story of his ascent into the art world, and of his marriage to the budding artist Florence Carter-Wood. But it is not their romance, which is based on true events, that you pine for at the end of the novel. There is another storyline woven in here, both haunting and heartbreaking that has stayed with me ever since I put the book down. It is no wonder that the novel has already been turned into a movie. You can watch the movie for free if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber.
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"Mortui Spinus Tristis" (The death of the Goldfinch)
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Oil on linen panel. 8 x 10. 2015.
Available for purchase. Contact, suzanne@lagoarthurstudio.com
The Making of "Mortui Spinus Tristis"
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I thought it would be fun to show some process shots of one of my most recent paintings. I found this sweet little goldfinch one day after she flew into my window. Once I got over the sadness of the whole thing, which took about 30 seconds, I ran into the house to get a freezer bag because I knew she would be the subject of a painting one day. Fast forward about a year, I found myself recently in search of a still life subject to paint under artificial light because it had been raining day after day and the light was horrible for the projects I currently had up on my easel.
So I pulled Franken Goldfinch out of the deep freezer and began placing her on objects in my studio. From a previous experience with a Franken Rooster, I know that frozen birds tend to thaw out really quickly under hot artificial light. So my strategy was to paint the bird alla prima (in one session) which took about two hours from start to finish. This includes redrawing the initial under drawing a couple of times until I had the composition just right to line up with the golden ratio.
The next day I began working on the plate. The following day I finished the Blue Willow design. I did the painting in about 8 hours spread out over a couple of days which I was able to accomplish because I put my covered palette, my painting and my subject back in the freezer in between sessions. I simplified the Blue Willow pattern considerably as I was only interested in getting the "feel" of it. However in future attempts at blue & white pottery, I know I will want to approach the design more abstractly.
The title of this painting means "The death of the Goldfinch" in Latin. Spinus Tristis is the Latin name for the American Goldfinch. Coincidentally, "Tristis" means sorrowful in Latin. It adds to the significance of the painting which for me is an homage to a delicate and beautiful life.
This painting, “Death Of the Goldfinch/Mortui Spinus Tristis” is currently available for purchase.
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Who Makes Up Your Brain Trust?
One of the biggest secrets to success must definitely be to surround yourself with people who support your ambitions and who also push you to evolve into your greatest potential. Obviously your greatest supporter should be your partner in life but it is also equally important to establish a strong support system among like minded colleagues. I am blessed to have many artist friends who are my advisors and who continually inspire me. However there are two in particular that I turn to most often for advice, Elizabeth Floyd and Jonathan Linton.
So how does this brain trust work? Well it all begins by being in frequent contact with one another in support of each other's work. I text or call Elizabeth and Jonathan regularly with my thoughts, questions or WIPs (work in progress photos). Elizabeth and I text daily and have regular FaceTime chats to go over our goals and projects. We plot the course of our individual careers by making suggestions to each other in the areas of commissions, competitions, technique and thematic ideas. Liz and I read ALOT and we are constantly referring books to each other to help us grow. Many of the books I am currently reading are those that Liz has given me including this Hammershoi book she sent me for my birthday to help inspire a series of paintings I am currently working on (thanks again Liz :) ).
Jonathan is a hugely successful portrait artist with many years of experience and a former instructor of mine. You may remember Jonathan from this post. He is the guy I turn to with my nuts and bolts questions on anything having to do with the field of portraiture. And he fortunately lives nearby (or unfortunately for him?) and has yet to lock the door on me when I come by his studio practically unannounced. Jonathan will give me honest feedback on my work and has a keen eye for anatomy and painting/drawing technique. He can always diagnosis what is "wrong" with a painting and if I get his seal of approval on something I know the client will love it.
So who makes up your Brain Trust? If you don't have one in place now I would seriously suggest you think about putting one together because positive relationships like these can add a whole other dimension to your artmaking. But think carefully about who you will let into your circle of trust. You should feel safe and respected with the personalities you surround yourself with so that you can freely share your innermost creative thoughts to them--and likewise, they to you. The right partnership will be obvious and will leave you feeling inspired every time you connect with them.
I plan on interviewing other artists and creatives for future blog posts on this subject. Do you have a remarkable brain trust? If so please drop me a line and tell me about them and how you work together; suzanne@lagoarthurstudio.com. Thanks!
Best Studio Practice: D-Lead Wipes and Soap
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At the risk of sounding like your mother {stern finger pointed in your direction} I am going to insist that you wear latex gloves every time you paint in oil or any other toxic medium for that matter. Think of it as my own painterly initiative modeled after the "safe sex" campaigns of the 90s. Wear a rubber, every, single, time. But you can take this Best Studio Practice one step further by using D-Lead hand wipes & hand soap. Originally created for fire arm enthusiasts, D-lead wipes & soap break the electromagnetic bond between skin and lead and other toxic heavy metals. Both D- lead wipes and D-lead soap products are inexpensive and are an easy way to protect yourself from serious health risks due to our profession
According to estimates made by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), more than 3 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to lead in the workplace. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. And Cadmium poisoning is possible due to its low permissible exposure limit, over-exposures may occur even in situations where trace quantities of cadmium are found. Cadmium is carcinogenic which is a scary word for cancer (as if that needs to be any scarier) and cadmium dust inhalation and cadmium fumes may cause flu like symptoms including chills, fever, and muscle ache sometimes referred to as "the cadmium blues." More severe exposures can cause tracheo-bronchitis, pneumonitis, and pulmonary edema. Symptoms of inflammation may start hours after the exposure and include cough, dryness and irritation of the nose and throat, headache, dizziness, weakness, fever, chills, and chest pain. Clearly to avoid air-borne inhalation a good HEPA air ventilator is advised. I purchased mine through Jerry's Artarama and even had my flexible health plan pay for it.
So make your Mama proud. Put on a rubber every single time & be sure to run your HEPA air ventilator when painting in your studio. Enough said, now go clean up your room!
Mastering Work Flow: Jiro Dreams Of Sushi
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A while back I came across this amazing documentary of Master Sushi Chef Jiro Ono, owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a Michelin three-star restaurant. I told anyone who would listen, especially artists, that they HAD to see this mind blowing film. You may be asking yourself now "what does a sushi master and an artist (or any other profession for that matter) have in common?" The answer is deceptively simple, mastery of one's craft through a conscious and disciplined daily practice.
Right from start of the film, Jiro issues this edict: "Once you decide upon an occupation you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success and is the key to being regarded honorably."
Jiro approaches his craft in the way of "Shokunin" (meaning artisan), the Shinto belief in executing everything perfectly, every single day, over an entire lifetime. Anything can be approached in the Shokunin way, no job is considered inferior or beneath oneself. The wisdom here is obvious and applicable to anyone's life.
I kept having to stop the movie to take notes. Here is some more advice worth remembering:
"It really comes down to making an effort & repeating everyday"
"It has to be better than the last time. That is why I am always tasting during preparation"
"Each of our vendors are specialists in their field (i.e. surround yourself with excellence and use only the best materials)"
"All I want to do is make better sushi. I improve bit by bit, day after day and progress forward. But no one knows where the top is"
"In order to make delicious food you must eat delicious food (in other words, in order to make great paintings you must see great paintings)"
"Without good taste, you cannot make good food (educate your tastes)"
"If your taste is not better than your customers how will you impress them?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhXEML1yKwQ
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is available on DVD through Amazon and streaming via Netflix and ITunes.
My 2015 Word Themes
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On this last day of January I want to share with you a strategy that my friend the talented floral still life painter, Elizabeth Floyd, shared with me. It is the exercise of adopting "Word Themes" to direct your efforts during the New Year. Word Themes are motivating and inspiring, but do not bog you down with the minutiae of specific goals--great for those who don't have that all figured out yet. It is a mantra you keep running in your head as you plan your daily life. Check out Liz's blog post for her 2015 Word Themes here. My words for 2015 are "More", "Limits", and "Rebirth". Now at first glance the first two seem contradictory but in my mind they actually go hand in hand. "More" stands for completing more work and being more prolific. But as someone who tends to put my blinders on and work unceasingly through my commissions, I realize that I need to set "limits" to my day in order to be more healthy and balanced. For instance, instead of squeezing every minute of studio time during the period that my son is in school, I will instead work one hour less so I can ensure I get my daily exercise and have time to take care of my home (believe me, it needs it). It also means that I will begin working on several projects at the same time so that I can create my own body of work outside of my portrait commissions which will enable me to participate in gallery shows once again. And lastly but most importantly is "rebirth". There are deep creative influences beginning to surface in my work right now and I am filled with excitement of where they will take me. I hope my words help you to come up with your own and if you do embrace them, drop me a line here and let me know what they are.
Bring it, 2015! We are ready.
Art Video Review: Donato Giancola's "Joan of Arc"
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This post is the first in a series of reviews of art videos I have in my personal collection.
Several months ago we made the decision to lose the extra cable box we had in our bedroom and use the bedroom TV to watch videos exclusively. Little did I know that this decision would lead to me being more productive & organized as I have taken to folding laundry while watching my many art DVDs. Before now, I never seemed to find the time to do either. Now it is something I dare say, I almost look forward to.
What sets Donato's video apart from other art videos I have seen is that he shares his entire process from conceptualization (which includes thumbnail sketching), compositional design, historical research, photography of models and source materials to preparing a surface, underdrawing, underpainting and through all the stages of painting his large multi-figurative narrative piece, "Joan of Arc". Joan of Arc by the way is one of my favorite saints because she is the patron saint of female bad assery. Donato is a much revered artist in the illustration and imaginative realism fields and has studied with some big names in the fine art world including Vincent Desiderio and Jerome Witkin. I think it is his unique perspective as an artist in these particularly deadline driven fields that has allowed him to create and hone such a strong working process which for me tends to be a bit of a moving target.
My favorite take aways are these:
-Use chroma shifts to help turn a form, not just value shifts. This was a timely nugget to absorb as I was able to use this technique a lot on my current portrait commission. -Donato refers to his paint palette as his "mud pile" and will pre-mix all his colors along with all the chroma shifts possible prior to painting his subject. -Keep a good book on anatomy handy as you model the form and constantly refer back to it for greater definition of the figure. -Donato is constantly referencing a lot of Master painters and their paintings to help inform his painting such as Rubens, Van Dyck and Bouguereau which I found really inspiring.
To purchase Donato Giancola's "Joan of Arc" click here. I highly recommend it.
Workshop Wednesday: Rick Weaver's Abstraction for Realists
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I've had the pleasure of taking two workshops from the artist, Rick Weaver. Rick has extremely impressive credentials having received his formal art training in New York at the National Academy of Design, the New York Academy (now known as the Graduate School for Figurative Art), and the Art Students League. He studied painting and drawing with a number of notable art instructors, including Robert Beverly Hale, Ted Seth Jacobs, Ron Sherr, Harvey Dinnerstein and he earned his Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where he was influenced by the sculptor Billy Lee.
I can tell you from experience that he is a deep thinker who stretches your mind alongside your skills. He seems to come at things always from a new angle and perhaps this is because he is both a sculptor and a painter, and extremely accomplished at both. I've discovered that the best teachers show you how they think which is much more powerful than learning someone's style. Rick is definitely that kind of teacher. If you ever have the opportunity to take one of his workshops, I would strongly encourage that you do so.
Below are my notes and photos I took during his workshop this past July which was hosted in the beautiful studio of Francie Freitas. Thank you Francie for having included me in this wonderful workshop.
Rick Weaver Workshop Abstraction for Realists July 22 2014
[Rick began Day 1 of his workshop by having us look at prints of masterpieces he intentionally distorted digitally (using filters) to better show us the degree of abstraction underpinning the work.]
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When you look at a great masterpiece in a museum, if you pay attention you will always notice an emphasis on composition.
"Ask yourself why an artist did things. Why a cloud there? Why that shape?"
Great painting is a combination of formal elements; line, shape, color & value organization.
Space is not a formal element but it collects form together for us. So does rhythm, so does light. Visual weight etc.
"There is a natural trade off between the amount of resolution (finish) you want and the base abstract power of the painting."
"Making a painting is not copying nature. Old masters made significant changes to what they observed in making their paintings. Be aware of this and be sensitive to it in your work."
"Make yourself make changes for the better in your work."
There are 3 main elements of painting 1. Subject Matter, what you see in the painting, direction of etc. 2. Form= line, shape, color (value) 3. Content
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The early stages in a painting are an opportunity to give your painting a strong abstract power to build upon.
Don't think of objects as separate. Think of them as joined, like in their shadows & forms, color.
If you think in terms of object you are ultimately separating. If you think inclusively you will see all kinds of connections.
Like in figure, the shadow is often indicative of the color of the drapery.
Show those connections.
Rounded lines are organic.
Angled lines are inorganic.
There should be a strong connection between form & subject matter.
Square, is a non directional shape, neutral. Look at Lincoln Perry. Be wary of putting something right in the middle because it will be weak.
Look at subject matter and see it as pattern within the rectangle. (Matisse)
There aren't really any definitive books on composition out there that I am aware of but these books are a start:
-Erle Loran book on Cezanne composition
-Andrew Loomis' book on perfect mean
Things you can physically do at the start of a painting to think formally:
Connectivity/Unity-literally make things connect in the beginning.
Always make a rectangle on your page to set up your boundary, picture plane.
"As soon as you put a silhouette you are making an object". Draw a two dimensional shape showing how the subjects link into each other from edge to edge, line to line. Work from the edge of the picture plane in. You can get in touch very quickly with the whole thing this way. Picture remains open, promotes flexibility.
You can use a more organic or architectural line.
No line has anything to do with the object. It functions just form connectivity. Same thing with tone, divide the subject into 2 or 3 values.
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"If I can't get a preliminary sketch to say/do what I want it to in 3 values, I never go further with it."
What seems to visually connect to you? You got to want it. Make it connect. Be on the hunt for those 3 values and only those values.
Vertical spacing pushes things towards you.
Horizontal spacing pushes things away.
Pay attention to your "sit down" (object touches plane) spacing will give you the horizontal space.
Paying attention to negative space will give you the vertical spacing.
Ideally make your circuit within a minute round the entire drawing for that first exploratory line.
Exercise to just allow things to connect more than anything else (mine was too slow).
Am I able to move into the picture? Is there ground plane? Foreground, middle ground, back ground?
Day 2
Demo 4 color palette, primaries + white Permanent rose, Ultramarine blue (or thalo blue), cad lemon
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Subject of demo: Hue-the most problematic issue of color.
Gestural start, linking forms. One continuous line.
Thinned down ultramarine
Uses a brush larger than he's comfortable with to keep him from drawing objects.
Holds brush perpendicular to surface, carving shapes as he masses in.
Tries to think in terms of three values, light, dark mid tone.
When he starts adding local color he looks to see where else it shows up, shadows, reflections etc.
"As I am working I am trying to reinforce my idea (initial gesture/approach) with the way I paint. Being consistent with the same approach through out the painting."
"The last thing I want to do is complete an object with this approach. I want to keep things open."
"I am starting to think about the quality of lights anything in the light has both yellow and red to it. You must use both."
"I really try to keep it formal, stay away from object making as much as possible."
"With the figure, I approach the same way but if I want a more traditional approach I take more care with the drawing. "
I will go back and introduce the (unifying) line in drawing while painting (as many times as needed).
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On a personal note I want to thank Rick for helping me to stretch both my thinking and my technique. I will be back for more workshops. You can count on that!
Face Off Heavy Hitters
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The most happening place to be last Friday was at the Principle Gallery in Old Town Alexandria for their annual alla prima portrait "Face Off" featuring gallery heavy hitters; Mia Bergeron, Elizabeth Floyd and Cindy Procious.
What is that you say? You didn't know about it? Well I guess that just proves you're not as cool as me. Luckily I am feeling generous today and will give you this brief little wrap up.
Veteran Face Off champions Mia Bergeron and Cindy Procious went toe to toe with a new tenacious challenger, Elizabeth Floyd over 3 hours with plenty of breaks in between for schmoozing and attending to their adoring fans. It was obvious early on that all of them had a good likeness of the model, Mr. Franco Landini, who is the owner of several Old Town restaurants including Landini Brothers and is something of a local celebrity.
Events such as these at the Principle Gallery always attract the hippest artists from the local painting scene. Besides my fabulous self in attendance were Jonathan Linton, Rena Selim, Susan Gallagher O'Neill and Abigail Davis Muncy.
Honestly, next time you should really just come see it for yourself. But until then you will be able to watch it on Youtube and I will post that link here when the Principle makes it available.
What are you painting?
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I'm only about 9 hours into copying this hand study of a portrait by Gerard Soest at the National Gallery of Art here in Washington DC. The reaction to my copy by the public has been extremely entertaining and at times has had me in stitches, like today. I guess visitors are not used to seeing a person paint only a small portion of a painting in the collection, and the oval shape I chose to emphasize the dramatic swirl of the dress and the gesture of her hand is unexpected and definitely throwing people off. But what seems to be the icing on the proverbial cake is that it appears to people that I am not painting the picture in the right color. Um, what gives?!! [Insert Valley Girl tone here]
Well there are some really good reasons for all the choices I have made so far in regards to this painting. The first decision I made, that of doing only a hand study of the larger painting is because I only have the months of July & August to copy and I thought by narrowing my subject I could get more accomplished in that time. Second, the oval shape is an intentional decision as far as the composition. In addition, if I have more time, I will paint another oval of her other hand to have a matching pair. And lastly, the colors you see before you are just the underpainting known as a "grisaille". The areas that are more grey are called a "closed grisaille" meaning they include white, plus the umber I used previously and prussian blue to achieve the overall modeling and value relationships. Those are the areas that I painted today. I will indeed get around to the actual color of the painting, eventually, in thin glazes of color. It is the way this painting was painted and since I am more of a direct painter, learning this technique is part of what drew me to the painting.
Below are some of the amusing things I have overheard/ or been asked directly while painting in order of frequency:
"What are you painting?" (Um, a hand and her dress....)
"Are you trying to paint abstractly?" (Yes, actually. A strong abstract design is the basis of all realistic painting)
"Dad, I don't get itttt!" (Snicker)
"Esa mano esta horrible/That hand is horrible" (Said by someone who doesn't know I speak Spanish. Ouch? ;)
I'll end this post by saying that painting is a process that is sometimes not self evident. So hang in there with me, eventually you will be staring at the exact doppelganger of that hand. Just don't hold your breath waiting.
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