"Herb Vendor" oil on linen panel, 8" x 10"
Another exciting morning! Today I tackled something else I have yet to paint in oil . . .the human face. Everything I do in the studio I regard as an experiment . . .another challenge to advance the learning.
This gent is an herb vendor we came accross last summer in Eymet, France at their weekly open market in the village square. I have a gallery of similar rascals that I may attempt.
Using the big size 12 flat first to block in the whole piece I found myself humming and singing as I slopped thin paint around in the shadows first then the light. That lesson that came ringing in a few weeks ago, plus what I learned yesterday in "Perigord Pasture" just seem to fit together and make this process seem easy. The cool thing about oil is that one doesn't need to be too worried about mistakes and errors because one can scrape and re-do all day long till it is right. And the opacity of the paint makes it easy to carve out shapes as one progresses into the finer parts of the painting.
(In looking at this photo on two different monitors, I can see huge differences in what is actual and what the monitors do to murder the intensity of the colors . . .or to press contrast to such an extent that the image makes no sense. Does anyone out there know how to adjust the contrast on the new hi res monitors in MS Vista?)
Some of this stuff is actually beginning to make sense!
8 comments:
Mike, I love how your oil paintings have a "watercolor" look to them -- wish I had that skill! Thanks so much for being so free with your instructions -- I really have learned a lot from you.
Mike,
Great painting!
I love the face in the shade of the big hat. And the few spots in the sun on the chin and on the arm. Great Greens!
You're on a roll!
Enjoy that new monitor! Now you'll likely use MSOffice Picture manager, as well...
Happy New Year!
I would recognize him without the description! Nice likeness. I had a lengthy conversation with him as he is English and did some translating for me. I have his information tucked away somewhere if you want to e-mail him your image. Besides exciting paintings, it is good to see images from our wonderful workshop in France this summer. Nice you are taking a new group this coming year.
Happy New year Mike!
This work is full of character and has a great fluid movement to it. Wonderful to see a figure with expression.
Hi Hank! Thanks for your encouragement! Hope you are painting, too.
Myrna . . .I am betting you recorded every face with character while in France! Am not surprised that you remembered this guy.
I think there is more to come from France!
Thanks for coming by Peter! You have one of the best blogs on the net . . .so this compliment is taken with a great deal of humbleness and respect. Thanks!
Great figure work. The face looks right and expressive. I see you got the hang of soft edges. Very nice! Bravo! Happy New Year, Mike!
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