The Little Artist

Jean Kelly · 03-30-2005, 01:09 AM

Hi Sharon,

You are right about my not thinking before I started this (color harmony). I really didn't even think about that aspect. I fell in love with the subject. I was painting and my grandson was drawing a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. I walked around the table and noticed the light on him and grabbed the camera. He was so engrossed he never even knew I took the photo. I had to paint it but jumped too fast.

I'll think on it and see what happens tomorrow. If I can't fix it I'll use it as a study.

I printed out your thread from 2003 "MDF for large art panels", and followed what was suggested there. I did first try the pastel ground right on the board but thought it looked awful (I didn't tint the ground first). Next time I'll just tint the ground. How thin do you make the pastel ground. Instructions said 20% to 40% water; I used the lower, so my ground was really thick. It caused some lumping that was hard to smooth out. I felt that a trowel might work better than a brush. I'll check out the fluid matte acrylic for a future purchase. We have an airbrush with compressor, (my step-son was a graffiti artist) but I don't know if I want to mess around with it till summer. No place in this house to use it!

Thank you for the suggestions, you've given me a lot to sleep on, and a reminder to always plan first.

Jimmie, the pencil is all fixed.

Jean

David Draime · 03-30-2005, 01:36 PM

Hi Jean,

There are a lot of beautiful passages throughout this piece. And I especially love the background - what a gorgeous texture! Excellent! You've inspired me....I'm now going to have to try out these MDF panels.

David

Sharon Knettell · 03-30-2005, 04:13 PM

Jean,

I do several thinner layers, usually one horizontal and one vertical. Do not put too much on your brush and DRAG it across the panel. You can try using an acrylic dryer retardant in it so you have more time to work the surface.

A thin, wide brush is better than a thick one, 3-4 inches.

My husband had a spray room built for me out of desperation. He was tired of green or whatever dust covering everthing.

Make sure you get a big airbrush, not the regular small ones.

Jean Kelly · 03-30-2005, 06:02 PM

Hi David, thank you and you must try this. You will love the texture. You can blend for a velvety skin tone or play around with scumbling over and just picking up a light feather of pastel (that's what I did on the background). I found that I couldn't get too detailed though, probably because I put the ground on quite thick. I'll thin the ground more and use a different brush like Sharon says.

Thanks for the feedback Sharon, I'm still mulling over the color harmony while I'm getting more panels ready. I'll drag the airbrush stuff out later and see just what we have here.

Jean

Michele Rushworth · 03-30-2005, 07:14 PM

Nice start, but I'd be careful of using too much alizarin and white mixed together in the shadows. Those two colors together make an intense cool, not the warm that you'd want in your shadows. I've noticed this on several of your recent portraits, too. You may want to really look at some figures in cool light from life and study the color of the shadows. I think you'll find there's not so much hot pink.

Jean Kelly · 03-31-2005, 01:21 AM

Hi Michele,

I've already started switching it around to more ochres and sienna. I changed the shirt and table and now of course nothing works at all. So, I may just wash it all off and start over. I'll see what the trolls have done when I come down in the morning.

Jean

Sharon Knettell · 03-31-2005, 08:22 AM

This is one thing I have BEATEN into Kim Dows talented little head, do a quick color study first.

Sometimes holding up a scrap of paper with a test color on it to an area in question helps.