Languor (closeup)

[Terri Ficenec]

Linda, this is really beautiful! Love how you reflected the warmth of the flesh. I agree with all the others, would love to see the whole composition!

[Linda Brandon]

Michele, this wasn't a commission. I am shameless about asking people to pose for me, paid or unpaid. (By the way, I've found that many people will let you take photos and paint figure work if you promise not to show, or to change, the face.)

Leslie, I'm always tinkering with the colors on my palette. Here's what I used:
Flake White (Michael Ozog paint, which I think is no longer made)
Yellow Ochre
Naples Yellow Deep (Old Holland)
Transparent Red Earth (Gamblin)
Irgazine Ruby (Michael Ozog paint; this is a permanent subsitute for Alizarin)
Cerulean Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Permanent Sap Green
Raw Umber
Portland Gray (Gamblin)
Ivory Black (very sparingly used, and not in flesh tones at all)

I'm about to do an outdoor painting of this model and I'll use my outdoor palette, which will probably include Indian Yellow and Dioxazine Purple.

Beth, I can't do a figure photo shoot in those small rooms because I get too much photo distortion unless I am really far away from the model. [Sharon, if you're reading this, I always read your posts about distortion in the figure very carefully.] I hung linen sheets around the living room for the background of this painting.

Kim, this is 1/16" ABS contact-cemented to 1/4" Masonite (a two person job, by the way). I cut the 1/16" myself with an Exacto knife from a big roll that I have. I still like ABS but I have to say that my new favorite surfaces are the New Traditions linen panels. In my case, the ground of a painting has an enormous impact on the finished piece; it affects how I handle paint, how far I can get on a finish, etc. . I'm painting a portrait from life right now on a linen so grainy that it looks like another artist painted it.

[Sharon Knettell]

Skin tones to die for. I love the puzzling look on her face, she looks like a thought has just passed through her mind. A woman, not vacuous, contemporary and real.

I think it takes a lot of courage to push the envelope today, when practicality and clients push you to the wall. We have to be willing to do those paintings that give free range to our soul and in doing so give others the courage to leap!

Good for you and for us.

[Heidi Maiers]

Adding my WOW to this long list of wow's. I think you have a winner here Linda!

[Linda Brandon]

The entire painting is now on my website under the 'Figuratives' section, to which I'm still making additions: www.lindatraceybrandon.com/figurative2.htm