Alla Prima portrait study of my son, Jason 14"x 11" oil

Preparing a four week online ANU course on my alla prima methods painting portraits, using my son, Jason as a model...just finishing this one...

Demo for my Unique Approach to Drawing the Portrait

I have been preparing a number of teaching instructionals for online, Artist Network University (ANU) and my own Gumroad page...feeling now that I have retired from the physical art teaching classroom, there are instructions from over the years I believe would be useful for others.  No need to carry such to the dust behind me...and then, having done so, will be free (in spirit and mind) to focus on my whim and muse...

This whimsical self portrait is one of five supplemental videos for a four week course we will be offering for ANU...the first video a 78 minute breaking down of my method, at the easel with newsprint and drawing crayons.  "Unique"...because my system begins with the eyes as a unit of measure, and works from inside out.  This is in no way a suggestion other methods are inferior, or this is the best, but it has proven the best way for how I work...and best for my students I've worked with. It helps from the get go...for the eye to see those unique distinctions of the portrait that stand out and poignantly put down what makes the effort succeed early on.

For the caricaturist, the method is an invaluable means to see what features to expound and run with...and for the serious portraitist, having knowledge of such allows key check points for accuracy and confidence in the portrait's development.

For this particular drawing, line hatching and cross hatching, traditional approaches in rendering with pencil, pen, carbon and so forth..was used, but done so drawing on a Wacom Intous 4 digital tablet and Creative Suite 5.5 (Photoshop)

No photo manipulation (which everyone immediately suspects, because such indeed is the practice of some), no filters, and drawing on a single layer as if on a single piece of paper.  

The wireless stylus is set up to be pressure sensitive, that is..I press harder, I get a harder mark...and in addition of course you can set opacity and flow.  Advantages are being able to zoom in close to your work, and zoom back to see from some distance how the work appears.  The other of course, for the working artist...is you can submit your sketches to the art director (magazine article or cover work for example)...by simply saving as a jpg and attach to email.

Old school requires living in close proximity so that you drive over, show...get instructions go back to your studio and fix. Then the issue of submitting by deadline.  So for working hands on traditional artists, digital painting/drawing is one more tool worth developing to compete, as deadlines are the order of the day and always have been commercially.

The course is NOT a digital drawing course, though I explain quite a bit in this particular demonstration.   I have demonstrated use of Wolff carbon pencils, going over with a bit of water and soft synthetic round smaller brush to convert to washes of values.  The use of the Bic black ink ballpoint pen...and so forth.  More importantly...the course is about my setting up and proceeding with the eye as the unit of measure.  Showing the value of having a "standard" that is a generalization I gleaned from reading Leonardo DaVinci's sketchbooks back in the seventies (which is how long I've taught this).  DaVinci believing order existed in the universe and working mathematics and ratios into near everything.  As inventor, naturalist, science, artist/painter...

I had a light bulb moment...how the eye can create a standard.  Not to "force" everyone's portrait into the standard, but by committing it to memory...seeing immediately what features a person's face has that is outside that standard.  Such features are the distinctions nailed that speak "you got it!"

So...I have a power point to finish...a short video to create on foreshortening and the quartering pose...then a matter of announcing when the four week course will be available.

The course is four weeks long, very much like my Foundations in Plein Air ANU course...which deals with the mid values crisis so many artists struggle with (knowingly or unknowingly).  The course is online...the materials, videos are downloaded week by week, setting up the assignments for that week.  At the end of each week, I will give each participant a personal one on one critique.  I often use my digital table to show how to adjust, where things need some attention.

Addie...gouache, finished...(I think...for now) 8"x 6"

okay...well, this is one of those examples I teach about where everyone is probably sure this refers to everyone else, but happens to me as well...painter, teacher...no matter.

My piece this afternoon did not pass muster, (second piece below).  My grand daughter saw it, nineteen months...and I asked her once again who this was?  She once more said her cousin...whom lives in Chicago.

So...I painted the hair darker.  More her natural color not in bright warm light.  I fixed something that bothered me with the nose.

Pushing outside your comfort zone invite learning, and learning is built upon a measure of failure...

Churchill said it best, "success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm!"

so...I may have exhausted this time that which is known to me on this particular work to make it work to meet my satisfaction.

I like it...for what I succeeded to pull off...and will live to paint another day...

8"x 6"  Addie...(as it appears now)

earlier today...

goauche of our little grand daughter, Addie...(WIP)

A work in progress...needing a tweak here and there to get chin, eyes...few things more accurate.  Painted while "listening" to the Grammy's last night...

our little Addie...about 19 months and boggles the mind with how attentive and observant, how smart she is to pick up on things, and what she'll say next.  Already counts to ten...and recognizes and says names of all the alphabet. And is a Packer's fan!!!  hahaha

Another Student...gouache portrait..8"x 6"

Blessed this year with some great advanced art students...and just great kids (well, kids to me...!)  

Trying to push this one...loosen up, limiting my time and palette...using a Zorn palette... (red, white, black, and yellow ocre)... 8"x 6" (click to see larger)

Portrait WIP (work in progress)...gouache, 7"x 5"

Here is the finished effort...two nights work, gouache...a step by step of one of my students...and the first night's effort beneath to compare...
7"x 5" on acid free matboard

Third Session with portrait- Ava Dawn...12"x 9" oil on linen

Difficult being satisfied with just the right adjustments on photoshop to get every color and value right here.  Might have to retake photo of work outside, but it is fairly close...

I tweaked anatomy...pushed values and color, worked on hair, added a barrette, worked on garment...and believe I'm very near finishing...at least in concept and aim where I wanted enough sense of realism in an abstract environment...which I think I have accomplished.  This is a gift for my wife...as we add to a wall of her painting that of her grandchildren.  We will add more paintings of course as the vision of our own son's expand.  Hee heee..  Three or four years, and it will be Addison's turn... 8^)

This is Jason and Kat's younger daughter...just a beautiful spirited little girl, who loves to dance!!!

2nd Session painting my granddaughter, Ava Dawn...

As you will see, the eye on the left will appear different from the first post of this work, as I began working on the second eye (the left eye)...I realized I had the positioning of the original eye too far left, making the face too wide.

Painting itself, is a means of broadening the scope of one's seeing and arriving at some clarity.  A journey of exploring and discovery as well as whatever expertise we represent, I suppose.

To begin this session, I mixed up more midvalue flesh color/tone, painted over the near dry tacky face preferring to paint wet into wet...which gives me much control I think.  Here is my palette-

Now while I have advanced this much farther, I have to bring the left side of the head over more, the forehead, work more accuracy in shape to the eyes yet...but, am satisfied that I am achieving the level of realism I want that will command attention of the viewer's eye...while allowing me to be as free and unfinished with the peripheral areas of the painting.  Suggestive...and even near abstract...

And...here is a closeup of the face, using a judicious more cautious building up of rendering form, but the final work will entertain some paint strokes having some sense of spontaneity to them.  The impression should be that the work was effortless to produce...

all images clicked on will bring up larger view...

Starting a Portrait..my granddaughter, Ava Dawn...12"x 9" oil on linen

 
Time to switch gears, subject-wise...for a moment, as I've been wanting to paint another granddaughter as a gift to my wife for her wall.  This is Ava Dawn...loves dance...and no fear of crowds!

I began with a brownish tone, used a rag to wipe out basics of face...then mixed up a midvalue flesh color/tone.  I cover the whole of the face area with this midvalue color/tone, then paint lights and darks into it...

 

I painted that over the wiped out area..the wet into wet painted darks and lighter values directly.

Wish I would have had time tonight...but, this does go rather quickly. 

smaller view of the whole image-

Finished...Jason... 9"x 6" gouache

 

Fun piece...what can I say.  I know so many

very fine artists have painted my son, and

hope I did some justice here myself

Jason, is very well known in the illustration 

and high end caricature world...winner of 

numerous & deservingawards.  If you are 

not familiar with Jason'swork...you've got 

to vist his blog!!!  Follow this link-

Funny Because its True!!

Here is a closeup of the tattoos...and wow,

that was some work!!

 

Finished tonight...Tim & Connie...gouache, 8"x 8"

Might have a touch here and there as I look
at this, but tired..and need to get off to bed...
Done for now...

First attempt doing a portrait using gouache, friends Tim & Connie...8"x 8"

Gearing up to build an itinerary for some possible 

online teaching offerings & opportunity, and my son 

Jason advised I demonstrate my principles apply to 

painting in general, not just my preference for painting

the landscape or outdoor subject.  So, thought I'd do a 

few portraits perhaps.  Of course anyone familiar with

my blog knows my painting interest revolves around

a fascination for light...and thus many subjects, though

my sense of celebration when painting comes from

painting outdoors.

This is my first attempt using gouache to paint
portraits...which I think I'll find interesting.

Started this one tonight of our friends Tim and Connie
...8"x 8" in size.

Began with mixing up a grayish neutral using casein
then proceeding over the top of that.  So, a beginning
here.  You can see the block-in of Connie starts with
shadows and light revealing the planes of the face,
and this is how Tim began...as well, so you see
something of where it starts...and where it goes.

I did not begin with a drawing, but just squinted my
eyes and seeing shapes, values, color...and start
right in painting.

Here a closeup of Tim's face thus far-

...by the way, in case of curiosity...no black pigment
was used.  My dark here is mixed using Prussian blue,
Alizarin Crimson, and a touch of Ice blue...(all Holbein)

Ava Dawn...Session 2...oil 12"x 9"

Scraped first session away of portrait this morning...
and repainted ending session two-

Granddaughter Ava Dawn...to complete the set (for now)

With the painting of my first grand daughter Isabeau
and now my wife's portrait completed, its time to turn
attention to the younger grand daughter, Ava Dawn Seiler

The method begins much the same, as an alla prima effort
in one session...and then the portrait scraped out the
next morning, leaving a film residue, very nice flesh
qualities slowly built up layer by layer.

I started by blocking in a midvalue flesh tone for the
face/flesh...then mixed up lights and darks painting
directly into the wet midvalue. Sargent used this method
and described painting the eyes a bit like drop a poached
egg into its socket. The eyes very naturally emerge
using this procedure.

blocking in...midvalues-























and the alla prima finish to the first session...
rendering form with color and values-

Finished...at last! 28"x 22" oil of my wife...from back when

A bit of softening of the hair, breaking some lines and
edges...and I believe this one is done! Just need the
appropriate frame now.

Sixth Session...Portrait of my Wife...28"x 22" oil

Tonight brought the painting much nearer to a finish, and perhaps my most radical additions or alterations thus far. In truth...the painting was bothering me a bit with what felt too classic and stagnant as a background, and so I interjected some brushwork, color and value to what I think excites the painting more...pulls her into the environment and unifies the work. By making the background lighter nearer to her right eye, I was able to darken the hair and hat to create more depth illusion, well...IMO... Worked more on the hair, the shoulder and arm. Still think I have some work to do on the hair, but it needs (with the help of my copal medium) to tack up and dry some.

A closeup...and as always, clicking on the images brings up a larger image view...

Continuing on with my wife's oil portrait... 28"x 22"

Its been a couple months, a number of paintings, the
great Wisconsin deer hunt come and gone...and decided
its high and time I work on finishing this painting.

Worked on flesh color/tones tonight, the hat, the
shirt...some on hair. Think perhaps next session may
well come close to finishing...emphasis to be on hair
and background...

Oil Portrait of my wife...our early years.

28"x 22" oil on board...

I've been working on a portrait involving scraping back the
flesh next day after painting, which leaves a film residue.
You keep repainting and rescraping back to slowly build a
quality into the flesh that glows and appears more flawless,
then upon the last repaint session, you apply finishing touches
that give the work an appearance of alla prima, a fresh and
spontaneous look.

Things I've been learning from "Painting Methods of the
Impressionists" by Bernard Dunstan...attributed methods of
Sargent, Degas, Manet, Cassatt and Whistler...

This close up of the face represents the 4th repaint...and I'm
happy with the way it is progressing, and will let this one
remain without a fifth scrape back. I'll post the whole work
when finished...












Note the steps of each repaint...to paint a midvalue flesh color
and block in the face area, then painting the darks and lights
directly into the midvalue wet into wet...
click on images to see larger...


With some of the questions people have, I'll explain this process a
bit more, and I DO NOT claim to be an expert of this. It is something
I am building some familiarity and expertise with by experimenting.

My fortee has been painting outdoor subjects, landscapes, wildlife
but I have done my share of "sporting portraits" over the years.

Follow that link to see a blog I only share with folks interested in that
aspect of my artistic offerings.

But...the basic alla prima approach can be demonstrated by my
showing a composite of my own self-portrait. That which can be done
in one sitting...(ie., "alla prima")-






















A few lines to suggest the head, a mix of a midvalue color
for the face blocked in...and darks and lights painted
wet in wet to finish. This as I read was one of Sargent's
common alla prima method.

Reading Bernard Dunstan's book, "Painting Methods of the
Impressionists" I discovered that Sargent would apply such
wonderful finishing alla prima-like touches of paint, that
no one would guess it to have been labored and wrestled with,
keeping that fresh spontaneity. There is the genius and
mastery IMO...

The scraping back was a common practice, as I found utlized
by Cassatt...at times Degas, Whistler...and Sargent. Each
scraping back allows a residue of what was painted to build
into a lovely rendering of color. As the face builds thru
this scraping back, you then more judiciously decide what to
add paint to in future sessions, less and less until the final
alla prima-like finishing touches.

Here...you see my wife's portrait after its third scraping,
and you can see that the residue of paint film left behind
is revealing the building up of a portrait. Imagine then a
good six or eight such repaint sessions and how you can
eventually paint more transparently...or judiciously, leading
up to an ideal quality of the skin-























The painting I did of my grand daughter, Isabeau...has a half-
dozen separate scrape backs-






















Now...agree with what has been written or not, how I am
interpreting the description of the process...I am finding this
to be a no brainer way to eventually arrive at the ideal and
lovely portrait. The flesh appears to glow...and the final
strokes of paint you leave are not incidental or accidental,
but intended. Appearing quite fresh and spontaneous.

But...I must be honest and report that psychologically, this
is brutal. Most difficult to commit to painting with such
great effort each time aiming to improve and do even better
knowing you will be scraping it out. For me, I waited 'til
the next morning. It was painful...but, after several sessions
you begin to see what comes and it becomes consoling and
encouraging.

As for the depiction of men...the less than ideal flesh tone,
surface texture, the blemish free feminine quality..is not
necessary. Painting the effects of gravity, a rough life on
the face is fun...and requires less doctoring and attention.
So...from what I read, less scraping back was required.
However with regard to fine ladies, young children and so
forth...the flawlessness and purity of the flesh is one of the
finer details the portrait must capture.

Reworking the Self-Portrait...12"x 9" oil

Some paint still fresh on my palette from finishing up my grand daughter, so...decided to play more with the self-portrait, get the proportions a bit more correct, a bit more color. Scraped dried paint down first...

Finished...Beau...12"x 9" oil

Taking my artist/son Jason's critique to heart, and his
reminder of a method I often teach my students to flip
my painting and reference upside down to get a fresh
perspective to judge (plus it diffuses the left brain),
and his reminder of a quote I love of Sargent when he
said, "a portrait is where something is wrong with the
mouth!" I gave this painting one last good hard look.

Seeing it upside easily helped me see where a few
touches and adjustments were necessary...

Here you see a closeup...that chaotic laying on of
paint we often come away from seeing painters work
real close...