Thomas Nash -- Portrait Academy Series, Norcross, GA -- What a great day!

Thomas Nash · 10-24-2005, 08:09 PM

Someone suggested that I share some of the images I used in one of the Keynote presentations that was part of the Academy. The following are from what I called the "gravity" sequence. It was in the context of the anatomy portion of one presentation. I wanted to remind everyone that with all the emphasis on planes, angles and thinking about form and structure, that we are, after all, fleshy creatures and the body moves and is effected by gravity among other forces.

So I had my wife Donna take photos holding the camera sideways or laying upside down so the flash would come from the same angle. Tori Abott Moore (shown behind me), one of the PSA Georgia ambassadors, held a white card behind my head. The idea was that the lighting and look would be the same for all the photos and only the effects of gravity would be different. I would hang upside down or off the side of a bench or look straight down or up. These are not all of the images we showed but will give you a taste. You can see how the flesh is tied more closely to the bone at some parts of the head/face than others.

Hope SOG artists find this amusing. it was interesting to do!

Thomas Nash · 10-24-2005, 08:28 PM

In one I am looking straight down from a ladder, then straight up, then hanging off the side of a bench, the opposite side from one of those above. Then a small composite with a few views.

Michele Rushworth · 10-24-2005, 09:06 PM

What a hoot! You really are a kook, Tom, and I mean that in a nice way! What a great way to wake up a class.

Bobbi Baldwin · 10-24-2005, 10:13 PM

You still crack me up with those photos. I had to look for a long time to realize that was the Thomas that I knew. I love to be entertained and to learn. So, thank you, thank you, thank you! I am still enjoying your lecture and day of teaching. I continually go back to points you made, thinking them through a bit more.

What was that gel medium that you had, but, didn't use? What is it used for? It looked a bit thick in viscosity and like it would act like a jelly verses an oil. Is it another glazing medium? Is it fast drying? I am curious.

Bobbi :*)

Thomas Nash · 10-25-2005, 01:26 PM

You may be referring to a small canister that contained some Maroger a friend gave me. Since I was talking about different techniques, their strengths and weaknesses etc. I considered going into Maroger a bit. I have never used it in my work but do admire the beautiful results that artists like Davide Leffel get while using it. I'm aware that it is controversial (I've read all the contentious threads on SOG about it) and yet am more open minded to it than I was as a student. I did not have time to sufficiently explore it myself to demonstrate with it. I had considered using some form of it as a tool to help me telescope the painting process for the sake of the demo. to be able to get clean distinct strokes over wet paint, rather than find myself at a stopping point as so many demos do, where you are swimming in soup and not really able to express the colors you see or add subtleties . In the end, I decided to use a rough canvas and alkyd white (as I explained to the class) so that I was able to achieve the effect I was looking for during the day. As it turned out, I never mentioned the Maroger because I didn't feel I had time to sufficiently explain the differing views and give the class enough information about where they might go to look into it for themselves.

For the record, I used almost entirely straight paint and only occasionally dipped into some Grumbacher "Pale Drying Oil" which I pulled off my shelf during the week before the demo. I really had not used it before but wanted to have something on hand if I needed the paint to flow a bit more for some passage. I washed my brushes in mineral spirits and tried not to leave much residue in them when I returned to mix paint with them, but there often is a trace.

Michele Rushworth · 10-25-2005, 01:50 PM

Quote:

to be able to get clean distinct strokes over wet paint, rather than find myself at a stopping point as so many demos do, where you are swimming in soup

Tom, I once saw Nelson Shanks resolve this problem during a demo by spraying retouch varnish on the painting. He explained to me that it was to help the new paint grab on better. Might be worth a try.

Thomas Nash · 10-25-2005, 03:43 PM

Yes I'm very familiar with Nelson's procedure. As I mention on my web site he was probably my biggest single influence among living artists during the last 17 years. He has done four demos here in my own studio in the late 80's and early 90's, including one he painted of me.

I didn't want to spray anything in the room during this class and there wasn't even a minute to spare to take it outside. What I did worked out perfectly for what I was trying to do. I generally don't like to use spray retouch at all if I can avoid it but that's another whole story, beyond the smell and mess:-)

Bobbi Baldwin · 10-25-2005, 08:46 PM

I am not sure about spraying the painting. Wouldn't it add a crystal like texture to the painting that could be disturbed by the next brush stroke, if the paint was even slightly thick?

Hi Tom ...
I like how the painting turned out and how much ease it was for you to carry through talking to 100 plus people. The idea of a fresh palette of color to see as you work and not restricting yourself to a limited palette keeps your paintings full of beautiful color and makes every response to color, that you have, show in your work. I feel that what you did was VERY successful.
I have used the Alkyd white in plein air and end up going back to the creaminess of the traditional oils because of the stikiness. But, you make it look like it worked with ease ... and you were so successful with it. I was impressed by the finished painting in so many ways. You caught the model in a way that showed him at his best for sure.
I was going over my notes from your demo, and noticed a note that I wrote to myself to ask you about the half tone color on the warm side of the face that you referred to as a color that almost feels like it should sit on the cool or shadowed side of the face. As I recall, that spot was right below his right eye in a plain that sits right at the meeting of the eye socket and the eye ball.
Would this color change be related mostly to the local color of the skin in this area or do you think it was a reflection from any area? And if it is a reflection, where would it have come from?
Thank you,
Bobbi