It starts with a sketch.
silverbowl pref2
Antique Silver Bowl
I work on several projects at once, with each work in progress at a
different stage. This allows me to leverage my time while I wait for
layers of paint to dry. Plus, I sometimes have the happy interruption
of a mural project or commissioned painting, and these must be added to
the works in progress queue. Right now I have about seven projects
going with a couple of them near completion.
So while we're waiting for the next finished work, I thought it might
be fun to share a little about how I work when starting a new painting.
It starts with a sketch and usually happens in four stages.
Choosing a meaningful prop
I found this small silver bowl (above), probably 20+ years ago at an
antique mall in Tennessee....I think. So I don't know its history,
which makes me a little sad. But of course, I can always begin its
story with my own family holiday gatherings. I used to serve my
cranberry relish in it before we went more casual with our holiday
table settings. It's such a happy little piece and I thought it would
make a good setting for a little bird drinking water from it. That's
the plan anyway. For now, I'll just work on the bowl.
silverbowlsketchplot
Plotting the basic structure.
Plotting points
Working from life, I use a slip of stiff paper in my outstretched hand
to determine heights of the various sections of the object and then
draw parallel horizontal lines between each section. When I need to
make a curved line, it's easier to measure and see where I might be
off. This is a critical stage because it establishes the accuracy that
makes a painting believable.
Drawing shapes within.
I think of the three-dimensional object before me as a 2D satellite
image. The abstract shapes may look random, but taken together as a
whole will give the illusion of reality in the finished piece. Even if
a shape looks wrong, I draw it as I see it.
silverbowlsketchshapes
Drawing shapes within
silverbowlsketch
Establishing values
Establishing Values (lights/darks)
Using the value scale on the left, I sketch in the darkest darks first.
Each shape means something, either a shadow or a reflection. Silver is
highly reflective, so there are a LOT of shapes within shapes. I
couldn't possibly paint every minute speck, so I simplify a good bit.
Getting the value right for each is important if I want people to
recognize this as silver. So I'm constantly checking and re-checking
the physical object in front of me, not merely filling in shapes.
I won't have to draw it in this much detail on the canvas. When I'm
ready to paint, I'll use a few strategic pencil lines and then sketch
an underpainting with a color that will set the tone. Even before I do
that, though, I'll need to decide what kind of bird I want there on the
edge and add it to the sketch, adjusting the reflection and shadow
shapes and values. And that bird, my friends, is where reality and
imagination converge. For as much as I love listening to their throaty
little tunes, the confounded things just won't sit still!
Until next time,
Jan
P.S. I'm thinking of using this sketch as my next giveaway. What do you
think?
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