In the studio 3/29/15
The under-painting for Woman in Purple Boots is finished. This means that everything has a layer of paint–darks, lights, and local colors. The last time I showed this in a ‘Studio Corner’ post it was still pretty raw. Woman in Purple Boots is an example of how I prefer to prepare painting surfaces. There is a
In the studio 3/22/15
I don’t think I’ve shown this painting–Sunday Parade–before. According to my studio journal, today’s painting session is the fifth. It was too raw. Still is, really. The underpainting isn’t finished; but it’s far enough along that you can get a sense of where it’s going. This design is put together from several photos of Manhattan.
RGH review updated
After several orders from RGH, I downgraded my rating to Quality: B (from A-). I modified my initial rating on my Oil Brand Reference but neglected to update the review. The reason for the downgrade is the cheap jars RGH uses for some of their colors. Their jars render the fast-drying colors, like the all-important lead white, useless
Playhouse Square
I started a series of paintings early in the winter called Playhouse Square. Each painting in the series portrays the area around Cleveland’s Playhouse Square and the people going about their Square-related business. I am amassing photographs for the project; I already have several hundred. I’ve taken photos in all weather and all light conditions. I took
In the studio 3/15/15
I worked all day yesterday and today on The News. According to my studio journal, today’s painting session was the thirteenth. I’m almost finished. People who know me laugh whenever I say a painting is almost finished. Some paintings have been almost finished for months. But if the drawing is good and there are no
Knot-riddled stretcher strips
Art supplies are absurdly expensive. Artists have to pay Cadillac and boutique prices regardless of the quality of the goods, which varies widely. What’s worse is the cynicism of manufacturers. You can buy ‘genuine copal varnish’ that contains no copal–none. You can buy ‘genuine flake white’ that contains no lead–none. The list can go on and
Red paint everywhere
I wrote before about my genius for getting oil paint on my clothing–much to the chagrin of my long-suffering wife. It’s almost always red paint, usually cadmiums–heavy metal paint. I arrange my palette with the warm colors, reds and yellows, nearest to me. So when I drag a shirt sleeve through the paint, as I
Bad easel
I whined about my previously-praised easel earlier this month. I’ve had the Utrecht-branded easel less than a year, and I complained about having to replace one of its casters. The way the casters are attached is poorly implemented; once one detaches, it’s impossible to reattach. While I was replacing the caster, the support brace split. #@!**@#!!! I glued