The Making of an Artwork: Eleven.
Jun. 8th, 2010 12:22 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
logansrogueHey all. After watching "Vincent and the Doctor", I was savagely inspired to do a painting of our newest incarnation of Gallifrey's favourite rebel, The Doctor. Now, in a way, this painting was a total failure. My aim was to do a piece:
- In one day
- Loosely and quickly
- With feeling and freedom
I did not finish it in one day, rather two days. It's not really loose nor free, except in the background and the jacket and the hair (maybe). Never mind, though, because I think I got a rather intriguing piece out of it. It's different from anything I've done before. Darker, more sombre, and it's funny because it's darker and more sombre than any David Tennant drawing or painting that I've done, and Ten was the more Emo Doctor. Anyway, I decided that while I was painting this piece, I'd take photos of my progress. I thought it might be fun for people to see how a piece develops. So, we begin!
Here is my work area:
I have my canvas on an easel, my paints, my brushes, my paper towels for wiping brushes and rubbing down the canvas if I make a horrible mistake, my laptop for both music and a digital photo of what I'm painting that I can zoom in on if need be, and a print-out on paper of that same picture, so I can hold it up next to the canvas as I sketch to make sure I'm getting it down right. There are also two lamps so that the lighting of the piece is both bright and not blocked out wherever my hand is. I also like to use a gel-like medium for acrylics to stretch out my paint for washes.
I'm working from this screenshot:
I thought that was a lovely moment.
1. Blocking in the areas:
What I've done here is with a sepia tone, I've blocked in the areas and the outline of the Doctor's head. Very rough, very loose.
2. Blocking in skin tones:
Going in with a taupy brown and a buff lighter colour, I block in the skin tones.
3. Blocking in more tones:
It's important to broaden the spectrum of tones. There's rarely an even gradient from one colour to another. Usually there are patches of colour where one colour will dominate the saturation. Around the nose, ears and lips, red tends to be the more dominant tone. In the forehead and cheekbones, yellow and blue are more prominent. In the shadows, less yellow is used and either purple or blue and red are used more.
Keep in mind that as I paint this picture, I never use black. Black deadens a picture.
4. Defining the features:
With a deep brown, I go in and define the eyes, nose and mouth. This is just a quick first pass.
5. Deepening shadows:
I lay down some washes to deepen the shadows of the background. I also lay down some warmer tones for the face, and work into the shadow on the face that differentiates two different light sources.
6. Deeper modelling:
I render some of the light and shadow of his face, modelling the different areas of colour. It is very, very important in this part of the painting to define the areas of colour and to make sure I don't muddy the tones by rubbing them into each other too much.
7. More modelling!
You know, I kind of like the blueish tones in his skin. I had to paint over it the next day because the acrylic had cured a totally darker colour and it didn't create enough of a contrast to carry the painting. This is one of the problems with acrylic paints - they dry darker sometimes.
8. Pushing the contrast.
It's at this point I push the contrast up a bit. I soften the shadows of the face and lift up the tone of the shadow so that the poor Doctor doesn't look dead. I work more into the hair. I block in the suit, tie and shirt. I darken the background. I define the highlights further.
9. Finished product:
After dappling the jacket, working on the folds of the shirt and rendering the bow-tie, the piece is complete!
- In one day
- Loosely and quickly
- With feeling and freedom
I did not finish it in one day, rather two days. It's not really loose nor free, except in the background and the jacket and the hair (maybe). Never mind, though, because I think I got a rather intriguing piece out of it. It's different from anything I've done before. Darker, more sombre, and it's funny because it's darker and more sombre than any David Tennant drawing or painting that I've done, and Ten was the more Emo Doctor. Anyway, I decided that while I was painting this piece, I'd take photos of my progress. I thought it might be fun for people to see how a piece develops. So, we begin!
Here is my work area:
I have my canvas on an easel, my paints, my brushes, my paper towels for wiping brushes and rubbing down the canvas if I make a horrible mistake, my laptop for both music and a digital photo of what I'm painting that I can zoom in on if need be, and a print-out on paper of that same picture, so I can hold it up next to the canvas as I sketch to make sure I'm getting it down right. There are also two lamps so that the lighting of the piece is both bright and not blocked out wherever my hand is. I also like to use a gel-like medium for acrylics to stretch out my paint for washes.
I'm working from this screenshot:
I thought that was a lovely moment.
1. Blocking in the areas:
What I've done here is with a sepia tone, I've blocked in the areas and the outline of the Doctor's head. Very rough, very loose.
2. Blocking in skin tones:
Going in with a taupy brown and a buff lighter colour, I block in the skin tones.
3. Blocking in more tones:
It's important to broaden the spectrum of tones. There's rarely an even gradient from one colour to another. Usually there are patches of colour where one colour will dominate the saturation. Around the nose, ears and lips, red tends to be the more dominant tone. In the forehead and cheekbones, yellow and blue are more prominent. In the shadows, less yellow is used and either purple or blue and red are used more.
Keep in mind that as I paint this picture, I never use black. Black deadens a picture.
4. Defining the features:
With a deep brown, I go in and define the eyes, nose and mouth. This is just a quick first pass.
5. Deepening shadows:
I lay down some washes to deepen the shadows of the background. I also lay down some warmer tones for the face, and work into the shadow on the face that differentiates two different light sources.
6. Deeper modelling:
I render some of the light and shadow of his face, modelling the different areas of colour. It is very, very important in this part of the painting to define the areas of colour and to make sure I don't muddy the tones by rubbing them into each other too much.
7. More modelling!
You know, I kind of like the blueish tones in his skin. I had to paint over it the next day because the acrylic had cured a totally darker colour and it didn't create enough of a contrast to carry the painting. This is one of the problems with acrylic paints - they dry darker sometimes.
8. Pushing the contrast.
It's at this point I push the contrast up a bit. I soften the shadows of the face and lift up the tone of the shadow so that the poor Doctor doesn't look dead. I work more into the hair. I block in the suit, tie and shirt. I darken the background. I define the highlights further.
9. Finished product:
After dappling the jacket, working on the folds of the shirt and rendering the bow-tie, the piece is complete!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 04:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 04:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 05:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 05:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 07:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 08:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 06:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-07 09:41 pm (UTC)The painting is stunningggg. And I love seeing your workstation and artistic process in action!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:21 am (UTC)Hopefully I'll have a more permanent work station once my room is clean!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 12:56 am (UTC)Wow. Just... wow. I can't stop looking at it.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 01:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 02:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 03:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 04:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:23 am (UTC)And thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 12:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 01:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 01:05 pm (UTC)That was a 'sigh, she's so amazing'
'sigh, she's such an awesome painter'
'sigh, i just saw a painting go from smudges to fully fledged and i STILL have no idea how it was done. She is so amazing'
'sigh, did I mention how amazing she is?'
and
'sigh, this painting makes me like The Doctor more than I did before'
No sadness, just awe and appreciation
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 01:10 pm (UTC)But do send the description again. I want to do your painting so that you don't have to wait for it anymore. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-08 07:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 01:16 am (UTC)Also, it's fascinating to see your process from reference image to final painting. I love progress pics! Squee!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 10:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 06:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 06:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 08:06 am (UTC)No, seriously, this is Worlds of Epic! You do better in two days than I could do in six months! I draw cartoon characters, you Paint Portraits! Epic!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 12:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-13 08:47 pm (UTC)Training and borderline-obsessive-compulsive behavior aside, you're still brilliant. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 12:22 pm (UTC)