Corrected "Copper Hook"
oil on linen panel, 12" x 16"
Sunday, after breakfast, I found myself looking again and again at Friday's painting "Copper Hook." The reason I kept after it, was that I realized it had become waaaaay too dark. There needed to be a much lighter hand in this piece because of the big dominating shape of the hill and cliff. It is just toooo much!
So, instead of darker, I went cooler in places of deep shadow. Also, I completely shifted the value scale of everything in the painting two or three value steps lighter. The sand on the beach in this photo doesn't play well, for some reason. It is much lighter and brighter in the painting. Perhaps I should start waiting until the paintings are dry before I photo them. Am just not happy with the results I am getting.
I suspect, and you can confirm it if it is true, that mixes of Thalo Blue become progressively darker and more blue as they dry. The first photo of the painting on Friday is NOTHING LIKE it looked this morning. Thalo blue stains everything. But I am beginnging to suspect that it creeps into neighboring colors and 'has at them.'
This was my first real try at glazing and scumbling on top of a dried painting. Using lots of alkyd to coat the painting first really helps to integrate everything. My wife and I are still rubbing our chins over the mood of this painting. We just have to wait and see if it grows on us.
Labels: beach scene, Corrections, Experiment, methods, seascape
