Monday, December 17, 2007

SAME IMAGE, DIFFERENT APPROACHES, DIFFERENT TRIAD




Here are the two bozzettos I painted today while working on the major painting project. The difference in feeling is amazing to me and a very valuable lesson. I feel very free to experiment, explore and just paint loosely, with abandon on these little bozzettos. The commissioned piece, I feel inhibited and am working much tighter. Consequently, I am not enjoying it very much and want to spend my time with the small pieces. I think I shall not take on this kind of work again. I don't need to and it sidetracks me from my true purpose.

I am working with the same photo but approaching it stylistically, from many different directions. I have altered the photo many different ways, each suggesting a unique paint application. I also decided to retire a color once I had used it in a triad. Last night I pulled 3 color sets and paper clipped them together until I had used up all the colors. When I complete this set of colors, I will put everything back in the pot and start over again and pull the sets all at once.

The first painting uses close to a traditional triad: Cobalt, Indian Red and Hansa Deep ( I actually got a blue, red and yellow!!!!)
I thought I would get some version of purple but Cobalt and Indian Red make an umber color when mixed. My photo "dude" has dreadlocks so I am experimenting trying different ideas to depict this look. Very tricky, indeed. I also floated some white into this image. Overall, I think it is a tad overworked but a color combination I would use again.

The next painting was done without drawing it on the paper first. It is all about shapes. I just painted the shapes, each value at a time and waited for it to dry so the edges wouldn't bleed. Couldn't believe I got a monochromatic color scheme: Ultramarine Blue, Thalo blue and Thalo Green. I am not a shape painter, per se, and I am not a monochromatic painter so this was a real challenge. I wanted to see the difference in the two blues visually on the paper. The liquid Hydrus colors don't have the granulating quality as tube colors do. The difference in hue between thalo blue and ultramarine in this line is not very great. Much bigger difference in traditional watercolors. I wasn't interested in mixtures on this one so I used strait colors at different strengths. When it was done, I decided to see how a complimentary color as an accent would look. Just couldn't stand to leave all that blue and green alone. Took a scarlet watercolor crayon and created some edges, then a light acid green. I think it was probably better before I messed with it. Kind of looks like Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz. Well, the whole idea of making bozzettos is to experiment so no big loss. Would like a little feed back on this one. Let me know what you think of the red accent line...yeah or nay?

6 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Myrna, of your many dreadlocked dude portraits, this top one is my favorite (probably because you did get a good set of colors to begin with and there is something very finished looking about it). The second one with the red looks a bit scary!

Anonymous said...

I liked the first painting very much,That colour combination was very nice,how did you get so lucky. Not fair.... talent and luck, all I am getting are crap combinations.I didn't care for the red outline on the second painting , I noticed a darker line in there, was that the result of some of the other colours mixing with the red crayon?. I liked that darker outline better, I thought the red was a bit of shock.

Nava said...

These two are so incredibly different in mood and expression!

The first one is very emotional, radiating a feeling of loss and hopelessness. (is that how you feel with your commission? ;-)

The second one is powerful and bold - very cool!

About the vote: I am a 'yeah', but I think it would have been more effective if you didn't outline everything, but rather used it scarcely, as an accent here and there. you make me want to try additional color combinations!

Anonymous said...

Dreadlocks to me express a culture which defines its differences with the hair. Paintings so far have expressed neo-Jesus figures/majesty and thoughtfulness(latest #1) and an experiment with red outline(#2, which lacks your terrific calligraphic looseness.)
I await the painting which acknowledges this guy's personal statement.

Evolving Expressions said...

Both paintings are beautiful, but my favourite is the second one, I think it is very exquisite and has a unique style to it, and the red line is defining. I love it!!!

Pablo VillicaƱa Lara said...

This is a beautiful series. . . I love the top one, it looks well planned but spontaneous(sp) very finished without looking overworked too. I wouldn't call it a study in color at all, but a piece of art.
Pablo

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