Warm embrace

My painting of 'girl picking watercress has stalled. Got to make an arrangement with a young lady to go wading in a pond so I can photograph her.
But the delay has permitted me to start a new work about which I have been excited for some time. A cyberac photographer has permitted me to paint from a photograph of her holding her new born baby.
I've spent about half an hour on it so far, gridding and outlining the proportions.
Going out for a walk now cos I know I will start rushing it. Don't want to spoil it. Will do an hour or so on it when I get back.

Jack

I love the composition - and you really feel the sense of closeness. Have fun with this.

This is great -- it would be difficult/hard for me to graph it out as you have done, only because I have a hard time with drawing in the lines....I know it is the best way to do it, not ever done it that way and not sure if I would know how to take it from there to a painting....is this just for you to get proportions and then start another painting using the proportions in which you graphed out?

I have used this with a group of art students….cut up a photograph and gave each of them a piece of it, along with the size in which they needed to paint it in, and then put it back together again….an amazing picture. That might be a great challenge for us, but then everyone would need to do it or at least each piece would need to be done by someone else to have a completed picture? Hummmm – fun thought!

Jack -- such a wonderful story again, you do love to tell a story in your paintings, can't wait to see more of the story....looking forward to it!

Thank you Dale and Dana
I've now moved into the blocking in so here's the next stage about one and half hours so far.
Wait for a couple of days until dry-ish then onto the colour blending, then those exciting bit working with the watercolour sables.

Jack

Jack, this is looking really good!!

Dana: I used to have to use this grid method before home pc's were common. After you sketch your grid picture, you put a large graphite sheet over your canvas, then put the grid sketch over the graphite sheet. Then you trace over the sketch on your grid and the graphite copies it to your canvas. I don't know if that's very clear, but it was one of the easiest ways sketch on your canvas if you weren't good at drawing. I'm not good at drawing, so I used it exclusively. It's still faster than driving to a copy shop, if your picture is too big to print out. How did you sketch your riverhouse painting on 48 x 40 canvas?

Dayle

Jack,

The painting is going to be exquisite. What beautiful composition and subject. I love it all ready.

Dana, Here is a link to my web page on how to draw with a grid. It also includes a video showing the process.

http://www.filarecki.com/how-to-draw.html

It really does help when trying to draw in prospective.

Judy

Jack - mother and baby look sp happy! This painting is going to be wonderful.

Thank you Dale, Judy and Sophie.
Jack

Just a swift comment on my grid method. It's very basic. I draw the grid on the canvas with charcoal, say, ten squares by eight. I then draw the same number of squares onto my photo or sketch. I then wipe gently over the canvas with a rag and am left with a very faint outline of the squares and most of the charcoal dust has gone. I then paint the drawing usually light blue. So long as my drawing outline crosses the same line or corner as the reference at least I know my proportions are right.

Thank you Jack, I will check out your web site on painting by graph....you are so kind to take the time to explain how you worked on the painting and graph......I look forward to seeing more of this mother and baby.....can't wait....but I guess I will have too. Happy painting

It's gone wrong. Too much haste and impatience has led me to apply the coat of many colours before previous coat was dry. I was convinced it would work out but not to be. Determined to do it so will start again this time with a smooth new panel rather than a sanded down old one.
Has lesson been learned?
I'm posting the spoilt work as a penance.

Sorry for the mishap, but I'm sure you will take advantage of what you learned from this first one to make an absolutely beautiful finished one. good Luck.
Judy

Thanks for helping us to learn from what happened to you. Just consider the first one your practice piece and the second one will be even better.
Dayle

Sorry Jack, I love the composition and concept so I'm glad you'll be redoing it.

I guess I'm completely clueless and don't see the problem - can't you just wait for this coat to dry and go over it with fresh skin tones?

I am also there with you Sofie, not sure what youre refering to Jack....I was wondering the samething can't you just wait for it to dry? I thought that it's looking pretty good....so far.

What happened is that with the blocking in being tacky rather than dry my next covering of paint resulted in the first coat being lifted of and leaving small pieces adhering to the surface. This coupled with the fact it was a sanded down panel meant that repairs would not in my opinion be achievable.
This has happened to me before a long time ago. Memory's going.
Ah! well
Onward ever onward.
Jack

Ahhh, now I understand. Does this happen mostly with this happen mostly with panel board or/and just as much with canvas? Will you need to clean the board completely and resand or just toss the whole piece and get a new panel board?

Thank Jack for explaining to me..... What a nice thing though to learn from others, I am so sorry it happened to you....but looking forward to the new one.

No, this is not a work by Tracy Emin. Heavy rain, guttering fails, water enters, ceiling in the long room collapses. All furniture has been moved, my 'tidy' studio is no more. Difficult to get to easel.

Jackie and I realise that life without a sense of humour would be impossible.

Jack

Wow! I am so sorry that this happened.....yes, if you don't laugh crying will happen and laughing feels much better! Hope you can get it fixed easily.......

when it rains it pours....hope all goes well with the fix!

Jack, I'm so sorry to see what has happened to you and your studio. I hope that it can be fixed quickly and cheaply. I guess it's time to take a few more pictures. My prayers are with you.
Dayle

Painting's peeling, ceiling's peeling.... What you got going on over there?
More times than not, I find it easier to start a new version of a painting rather than struggle with one that's gone off the rails. I'm sure you'll end up with a wonderful painting - as soon as you can stop it from raining in your studio! I hope you can get it taken care of right away.

Jack,
How horrible. I hope none of your beautiful paintings were ruined.

Judy

Thanks all for your good wishes
Jack

Hi Jack - I get what you mean about the painting now - you can't see it in the photo.

Scary thing there with your ceiling falling in - hope you can get that all fixed up soon so you can get back to making your beautiful art.

Oh my! So sorry that happened. Maybe there was something you wanted to change/add in that corner of the studio and you can use this as an opportunity to make it better than ever. (Always looking for the bright side.) And maybe the painting hiatus will let you get back at Warm Embrace with renewed enthusiasm. The best of luck.