What's on My Easel
This is a picture I took when we were in Russia. In Red Square there is a big copper plate on the ground; one stands on it and throws coins over one's shoulder and makes a wish. These poor women stand to the side and when the coins land, they go over and start picking them up.
I am using pastels -- I used Pan Pastels (my new loves) to lay in under painting. Then I used soft pastels (many brands) to put in the details. At this point it is finished although I've started taking pictures of my progress so perhaps next time I'll send some that aren't quite finished.
What I'm Doing
It has turned out just as I envisioned it. When I took the picture I was excited about the value shifts in the woman's dress and I was happy to reproduce the look I wanted. Also, I was worried about the copper plate on which the coins rest but really like the way that portion of the picture turned out. As I reread this it occurred to me when editing this writing that this isn't the final picture. I finished by adjusting the woman's left wrist-in this painting it looks like one big hanging lump of meat! Unfortunately, I haven't taken a new picture yet and am not at my studio to do that.
The other picture is one that I've recently finished where I worked on painting the "big shapes." It was a very gray, rainy day in the Mountains of Colorado.
Advice
- I have found that looking over my shoulder using a mirror helps me see errors. I've learned about a new fixative, "Fixatif" by Sennelier that works really really well. It has no odor, keeps under layers of pastel in place. I have learned that violet/purple colors are indispensable when drawing/painting shadows. I wish that I didn't struggle with finding just the right color for each part and I'm still frustrated with the way I get to "detailed" right at the beginning. I'm going to try working on the "larger shapes" idea. Each time is trial and error as I've been teaching myself with the help of DVDs and books.
What's the Month/Year?
Feb/2010
