After having neglected my latest painting for a couple months, I got back to it with some time off this weekend. Have made some progress, still a ways to go. I spent some time blocking in the background further, working on some of the highlights that hit the wall and ground, and some little spots on the curb and here and there in the legs and face.
One thing I love to rely on, but can never fully plan for, as a working technique is ending up with a really useful colour that works successfully on an area it was not intentionally mixed for. Then, recognizing that I have such a colour on my brush, and that before I'm out of the mix, to know when and where to use it in another area.
An example of just such an instance is if I mix a really nice warm green ochre grey neutral, say for a soft highlight on a wall or object, but then realize hey, this is a perfect neutral for some of the shadows in the legs and arms, or to blend hard edges in the face, etc. The trick though is to realize I have such a colour on my brush, and that I am done with it where I mixed it for, and then to not go nuts with it in other areas but to lightly dry brush it in where it is effective in accomplishing something in another area. It is a technique, although a bit of a spontaneous yet controlled one, that I've just built up over time and practice, and I always get so excited when it rears its head while I'm painting :-)
Next weekend, I should be able to get a few more hours in on this piece. It is a painting of my son from when he was about 9 or 10, with his skateboard, in Ajax, Ontario.
One thing I love to rely on, but can never fully plan for, as a working technique is ending up with a really useful colour that works successfully on an area it was not intentionally mixed for. Then, recognizing that I have such a colour on my brush, and that before I'm out of the mix, to know when and where to use it in another area.
An example of just such an instance is if I mix a really nice warm green ochre grey neutral, say for a soft highlight on a wall or object, but then realize hey, this is a perfect neutral for some of the shadows in the legs and arms, or to blend hard edges in the face, etc. The trick though is to realize I have such a colour on my brush, and that I am done with it where I mixed it for, and then to not go nuts with it in other areas but to lightly dry brush it in where it is effective in accomplishing something in another area. It is a technique, although a bit of a spontaneous yet controlled one, that I've just built up over time and practice, and I always get so excited when it rears its head while I'm painting :-)
Next weekend, I should be able to get a few more hours in on this piece. It is a painting of my son from when he was about 9 or 10, with his skateboard, in Ajax, Ontario.
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