EXHIBITION PAINTING
"Lupine Tap Dance" - Oil - 24" x 30" - $3600
"For those of you interested in my working process, here is a mini-demo. When I look for something to paint, I look for light against dark or dark against light. The subject matter is secondary. This grouping of trees and shrubs provided the excuse to make a composition. Having lupine there was the icing on the cake.
STEP 1:
I start with a drawing with my brush on toned canvas (sorry, but I didn't take a shot at this stage, but you can see some red lines on the edges of some of the areas). The direction of these lines and the sizes of the shapes become the framework for the composition. Next, I lay in masses, big areas of color, just concentrating on overall shape, value, hue, and temperature. I start with the darkest areas (usually trees in landscapes), then compare color to color as I go... green to green, yellow to yellow, purple to purple, etc. I reserve the lightest areas for the last to be covered at this stage, which, in landscapes, is often the sky. The ground is usually the next-lightest.
Step 2:
The largest amount of time is devoted to refining the color relationships, finalizing drawing, and attention to edges. Once those are to my liking, I proceed to details of calligraphy, accents, and highlights... that icing for the cake. The painting is complete when everything is in balance. The signature is usually the last element of that balance." -- SFG
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