STILL LIFE NEW ONE

Starting the full version  duh

Next day - trying to work out drawing

Second stage of this ol still life, I am scaling up in size and starting over.  As before I have rushed into it without much care about colour mixing or tone, but then stepped back to assess composition, and drew into it.  Lots of drawing mistakes.  I am trying to get into this little world with its relationships. Start to be more precise once the piece starts to reveal its life.  But I am unsure about the composition.

Next day - looked at composition, well it was'nt that bad and I have probably made things worse, but I did about 30 mins on it  Colours look weird because I photographed it in fluorescent light, composition not that different, but obviously need to get perspective of the table right. For me this is very hard work.

Start free and zone in.  Busy also with the rather different textile pieces (see below) so concentration fractured. But the formal study is so focussed and satisfying and informs the other things and allows for freedom in those.  Hey, maybe I could do a version of the still life in this kind of "style".

Like this?  Dye on silk 1400 x 850 mm

Day 3 - press on, began to get more involved in the subject.  Still establishing composition and main colours.  Trying to get composition better, still wobbly.  Love the silk piece I did (above)

Day 3 version


Day 4

Photo of subject

Greyscale version 

Painted over in mono

Starting to work out colours again

Not a lot done today timewise, but I went back to greyscale app and then repainted accordingly to about 4 tones in that. You can still see the colour underneath.  The third version shows where I am starting to add colour again.  I feel that it is starting to look more like a painting with form and energy.  I was seduced by the orange fabric around the vase on right before, it looks so bright and glowing, but the greyscale shows that it is quite low in tone.  It was hard to assess this with the tone wheel because of the ribbed surface.

So far have done about 4 hours on this.  I think it is taking shape more.  I want to start adding the colour, sticking to the tones.  OCA book suggests 10 hours for this, so I should have time! Getting all the things to relate is challenge

Day 5

Day 5  duh again

Tired today, unenthusiastic :(, tried out some colour but as usual did not stop to think, or to set out the colours in advance.  Just made mud on the palette.  Not in good mood.

Action

- I think I will work on two paintings at once, this laborious one and another one where I can just play, like this:

Textile piece repainted in dye:)

  Painting by Ivon Hitchens  BIG DISCOVERY FOR ME

- Also I will really try to work slowly and carefully, mixing the colours first at the very least, and stopping frequently to reflect.  This is difficult for me. 

-  Question - where is the creativity in doing the observational painting?  

Day 6

Next stage

This photo is way too green, different from actual painting.  I did not have a lot of time for painting today, but re engaged with this, and started to see it differently.  The mug I have not really fixed shape or colour or tone wise, and I still have not got the location of the various objects in a proper relation. Realising OK to exaggerate and alter colour a bit, anyway that is what I am doing.  Observation alone may not be enough when it comes to colour, which is such a shifting and relational thing.  But drawing is different, though that can be expressive as well.  Composition here is too stretched out, I am wrestling to give it form and life and make a tonal pattern.

Stage 6

 A good bit of time today, about an hour and a half, that is enough for my concentration. It is definitely taking form.  The left hand side is better now I have got the white box better, with the very light corner as well (key in whole composition), also the flower pot at the back, with the tablecloth and shadow.  Used a straight rod to assess relationships, had to change things but it is coming right, and feels like a whole at last.  I have got the basic shapes and tones right or better.  Perspective of the table a bit odd.  Quite a bit still to do, but I think it is holding together now, the construction is more solid, and I can try to improve parts like the orange sweater, the flower etc.

It is an improvement.  It is like getting to know someone or something, takes a while to grasp, takes practice too.  It is strange how the most inconspicous bits are the most important.  My eye is drawn to the orange sweater all the time, but the perspective and the flower pot are important, and the link between that and the ginger jar, also the white box.

Stage 7

 Pushed on today, now I am focussing on colour and relationships, since the drawing is moreorless OK.  Photo a bit washed out on right because of how light was falling in photo.
Progress with orange sweater and its tones, also the tapestry and also edge of table on the left. Work to do on the orange and on the pink flower (waiting on paint).

Basically getting towards a stage where I can tweak things a bit rather than being totally accurate.It will look better once pink flower is in, when light falling on tapestry is better defined (overdone here with white paint added), and when orange area sorted, plus jar, particularly top of.  Thing is I am beginning to get to know it, and could move beyond this stage to play with the colours (which I have mixed quite a few times) tones and shapes. Back to simplicity.  I think I am making progress when I look at the top image of this post, for example.

Stage 8 but it is all too blue in this photo

 Continued for half an hour today, letting myself go a bit, main thing was to look at blue of the jar and try to paint the flower.  Managed a reasonable pink with red and mauve.  Don't know why photo so blue, it was getting dark and maybe light distorted. Lightened up the red of the sweater at the back a bit, looked at the relation/passage from flower to tapestry to jar and sweater, adjusted a bit..It does have more life, I think I am nearly there with this stage, a bit more on the sweater and maybe flower, try to get a more accurate photo!

I was going to try another one in style of Matthew Smith and maybe in style of Hitchens.  Not sure that I will after all.  Quite enjoying this conventional approach, doing a bit each day, letting the subject come to me, and feeling the relationships in the subject.  Definitely better now the flower is doing something.  I think the light is working, but the bottom left tablecloth needs work.

Stage 9  Nearly there

Colours off in this one but slightly better, too much pink up top??? Struggling with the orange fabric, am going to do a drawing of it to look at shapes and tones, check out on line instructions and suggestions - new page of blog.  But am pleased that I am learning something, also focussing in on the fabric, as I am fascinated by fabric and drapery.

Stage 10 Working on the fabric

More on this

Working on getting orange fabric better.  Now it is too bright, but beginning to have an inkling.  Below is the final version, as far as I am going with this one.  Did a bit on the orange today, toned it down and tried to give it some form.  Definitely a novice effort, but I have still come quite a long way from the start of this project. Composition not bad, left hand corner needs a little toning to go with shade parts of t-cloth. Nice at the back where the cloth meets the top of the jar.

Final version