Another two paintings have emerged in my latest panel series. My only panel series. The first one came about because I was thinking of revisiting my black paintings and also because I was out of white. The figure is painted in Gamblin's Silver, which is actually aluminum suspended in oil. Once I thinned it a bit it laid down beautifully -- just one of the best feeling paints I've ever used. I could brush it on all day. Although it has a very strong odor, very different from other Gamblin paints.
Now I need to prime the remaining four panels and get to work on those.
I like the first one quite a bit. Kinda moody. The second figure has some really nice movement throughout the figure and the foreshortening is really good. Even though I am not a fan of vagina art, I rather like this one too. You sure have a strong focal point anyway:) I think the background colors might be a bit overpowering but it's hard to tell without seeing it in person. It's great you are being so productive!
Actually, I think the background colors are kind of overpowering. The photo isn't the best -- the red and yellow are almost exactly primary, and the skin tone is lighter. Basically the photo's dark. I may take a better one when I can.I wanted to get away from the pastel kind of backgrounds, do something more bold, but I think this went a bit too far. The whole thing is a little Fauvist.Still, the nice thing about having a pile of panels to work on is I can screw around and screw up and it's okay. I've still got four more panels! I'd score myself five out of eight so far -- five I'm really, really happy with -- and I think that's a good record.I'm also finding something I never realized before, which is that having blank panels actually fuels my painting. In other words, if I only have one panel, I'll only do one painting. But if I have twelve, I'll do twelve. I like that.
Maybe you could try some glazes to soften the background color in the second one if you think the color is too strong (in real life). In keeping with screwing around that is. I like the background color on the first one, do you think that is too strong also?
Which first one, the first one in this post or the first one of the series?
Oh, I was just referring to the paintings on this post (better start naming them if you are going to be doing all of this painting!). I like the top one with the greenish background (I like the brush strokes too). I think the red and yellow looks too strong in the second one and that's the one I suggested you experiment with some glazes, while you are in this screwing around mode.
Tracy sez:I like the top one with the greenish background (I like the brush strokes too).The background isn't really greenish at all. It looks greenish in the photo because of digital noise introduced because the color is at the far end of my camera's sensitivity. The color is actually Gamblin's Chromatic Black, which is made from red and green pigments, but which -- for reasons I cannot explain -- looks almost purplish to me. It's supposedly neutral, so maybe my eyes are off a bit. And you know me and color, we're barely on speaking terms.Anyway, the background on that one isn't remotely strong, which is why I wasn't sure which painting you were talking about. The background on that one is brushy, yes, but in color terms it barely exists compared to the silver, which pops nicely. Although it can look gray if the light hits it the wrong way.I'm kind of avoiding anything as complicated as glazing right now. But you know, I may decide to give it a try anyway. See what happens. I'm not sure what I'd glaze over primaries with; I can imagine using a thin white, but then I'd end up at pastels again, which I didn't want. If you have any suggestions, feel free.
Glazing over those colors would be tricky. You could take the red down though with a blue and the yellow with a deeper red, maybe. I don't know, I'd be experimenting too if I had used those colors first.Are you planning to work on this second piece further? Cause I think the figure is really nice and worth working on the background color for. Unless, of course, it's not quite as loud in person and you like it. Personally, though, I'd try a softer blue green color darker on the bottom and lighter in the back. Or maybe a peachy pink color. That's just me though.Actually, in looking at it again, I think painting the background completely red might be interesting. The horizon line wouldn't be competing with the very graceful flow of the body.
Here's a secret: With this series, I've been trying to suggest an interior space with the backgrounds. Okay, it's a lame secret, and obvious, too.If I painted the whole thing red, I'd lose the interior thing. On the other hand....I'm going to play with this, I think. I'm not so thrilled with the figure, so I won't mind if I totally screw it up by messing with it.
i like these, and the previous six paintings posted.
Thank you, Martin. If you came here through Anonymous Female Artist, I appreciate it even more.
no, through winkleman today. now you have me curious what is on the edna blog.
whoah... i saw.
What an excellent coincidence, that while I was getting my ass kicked over at Edna's you'd just happen to visit and compliment me. Thank you for the spirited defense over there, too.I saw you getting banged up on PainterNYC. Real shame, I thought, because that painting particularly looks like it doesn't reproduce well.And what kind of critique is "no visible social agenda"? And is just me or do a lot of the commenters there completely lose their minds as the type?
i got banged up? i was pretty happy with that feedback... and the comment you mention i think was meant in a positive way - "pretty, not pretty, no visible social agenda.so last century?why make it?why not?seriously"and even the ones that were definitely by people who hated the painting were pretty good. someone said it was "like an easter egg that didn't get found until halloween".. which it TOTALLY is! i loved that.. want to use it in an artist statement.plus... yes, i am really into the idea of working on fabric, or having the paintings reproduced on fabric... so even that maybe intended to be negative stuff was taken positively.anyways.. i'm signing out. can't keep up with conversations in comment boxes...bye!