Working on this painting has been a significantly different experience than I’ve had with other pieces. The two nudes i’ve blogged about were created with models and several preliminary studies. The landscapes I have worked on were painted from life as well. This picture began with a vague idea that I tossed around in my head for a year and then began working directly on the large canvas from memory and imagination without any preliminary sketches. The process has been like looking at the texture on a ceiling until you see something recognizeable. It is suprising what can be recalled with just the slightest suggestion. I also have a couple of mirrors in my studio and in the right spot I can see myself from any angle. I use the mirrors and myself as a model to act out the characters when there is a drawing problem. Here are a few images that show how the painting has progressed over the semester. The figures are lifesize so progress is not fast.
March 5th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Wow, Blake, this is really beautiful!
March 6th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Thanks Leslie. I appreciate that.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Blake–This is beautiful! I can’t wait to see the finished product.