Five-hour figurative pose
 

This was my painting from our five-hour open session today. I should probably title this a work-in-progress, since one of my friends loaned me his camera and I took a photo of the model; I doubt I will be able to resist correcting a few things. (I especially need to straighten out the background stripe on the left.) (This is a pretty bad photo, full of glare. I used a ton of paint on this painting today.)

He was leaning on a pickax, by the way.
[Edit: Such a horrible photo! I shot this in my garage, so it serves me right. I posted a more accurate photo later on in this thread.]

Linda! Schweet !! Strongly painted, solid, well worth the "ton" you used! (no one ever got rich by saving on paint!) What size is it?
I envy your five-hour session. I want to see this when it's "finished" (which shouldn't take very much at all).
Question, what steps do you take compositionally in these "from the hip" sessions? (I really battle with this)

Richard, you've hit the nail on the head regarding a figurative pose. I spent at least 30 minutes at the very beginning, measuring and plotting the best way to crop this figure without losing the elbow or glove and yet size the head large enough to get some detail in it. It's 22" x 18" and I really wish I had brought along a larger canvas. I'm kicking myself.

I also had to eliminate tangents and awkward points of overlap and intersection - which is hard to do in a crowded group situation, but if I take a step a few inches one way or another it usually solves my problem. Composition is really important to me on paintings like this one, which isn't so much about rendering than it is about 'drama'. Incidentally, I put a big boom spotlight directly over the model's head and I really liked the way the shadows developed.

Thank you for taking the time to comment, Richard. :)

Wow! Linda! This is amazing. To borrow one of your quotes, you "really know how to paint men." I love the muscle-T, sweatband, and gloves. The angle of the light is very effective--it evokes midday sun, which reminds one of taking a break from hard work. Youve got the feeling there. GREAT work.

Linda, what a painting! I mean painting as opposed to a portrait and its background!
I love tthe lilac/yellow scheme, with the two colours chasing each other around all of the canvas.
If you work some more on it, just don't look at the photo: it's wonderful and fresh and you are at risk of loosing the whole just to go after a detail!
Ilaria

Linda, this is awesome! This is ready for a frame as it is. Sure you can refine this or that but why? Maybe just adjust a edge here or there will be just the thing. For a canvas this size the unfinished look will hold the charm. Don't you think?

Linda,
this is great, the figure and light is so believable, frame it !

Dear Linda,

Powerful, emotional amd dripping with mood. It is GORGEOUS. Please ssssssssssssssssssssstop.




Love chris

Alex - you know, I have been dying to do this subject matter since I saw your mega-prize-winning painting of the plasterers on the table. I blame you for this. (Thanks for the nice comments!)

Ilaria - if anybody would have noticed those yellow/lilac complementary splotches, it would be you, with your keen eye for color. Thank you so much for the comments. I've ruined paintings in the past by tweaking around after a life session, so I'll be careful - just a couple of corrections to the head and bicep, I think.

Mischa - you have such a keen eye - thank you and I will be careful.

Allan - I know you are also a fan of dramatic light situations. I am so happy you like this one, thank you for saying so!

Chris - Oh - you are too funny. The mood is, "I have painted too many children and beautiful sleepy young women in a row and I am really ready to paint a guy with a pickax." I really wanted to paint a dramatic pose. Just a teensy weensie bit more fiddling, I pppppppromise.

Well, now. Good goin' kid!

--TE