More Shapeshifting

This week's drawing.  Still playing with building texture and depth through the work, but definitely getting closer to satisfied with the outcome.

Shifting Practice

The last year has been about trying to find my voice, my visual language through my drawing practice. This is the third in a series I'm calling 'Shapeshifters'. Working on finding the balance between my need to work quickly and rough against my moments of perfectionism. I'm a split personality drafter. Still working it through, but feel like I'm getting closer to the right balance.

Experiment 2

So this is an underpainting I did about 6 or 7 years ago from a series I never exhibited. I want to try for the layers that develop skin tone and intensity of colour but fewer and much looser.

1. the underpainting

2. large loose tonal paint application

3. Building the pentimenti and tonal colour

Next I need to intensify the colour and work on the hand a little. I'm feeling much happier with this experiment than the previous one.

Colour Correction

So this happens a bit - sat there looking at the ultra white pinkiness and had to rub it off (Medium and a soft cloth takes off the latest layer).

I feel better now :-)

Had a bit of a think and decided that raw sienna is going to work better that the Italian Pink.

Phew....

Pinking It Up

Starting to apply the warmer flesh tones using Alizarin, Cad Red, Italian Pink and Zinc White. It's still far too pale and evenly toned, although the Zinc White is really coming into its own. Will let this get a bit tackier and then really amp up the warm tones and build in some blues.

I need to start thinking about how the face integrates into the ground and the rest of the figure. Maybe some loose brush-strokes and a series of glazes.

I'd really like to bleed some colour across the work - Maybe that Alizarin across the face; I'll see what happens when the intensity builds.

Going Green

Starting the Houding process with the green tones in the cooler areas of the face. I've used Sap Green (AS) but it might be a bit warm - I think I'll need to amp up the blues later.

The Dead Layer

The Piambura (dead layer) is done. I've spent a few days on this as the tonal qualities need to be fairly accurate. I continued using the Payne's Grey and started with Cremnitz (lead) White but really didn't like it. The Cremnitz had an eggy quality and wouldn't lie cleanly on the earlier layers, especially when mixed with the medium (I use Archival Odourless Classic). I introduced some Titanium White to give it body but blended them as the colours of the two whites are quite different. I think I'll try the Zinc White next time.

In terms of the effect I think it's a technique that has potential for portraits but isn't offering the expressive looseness I'm looking for at the moment. Once this work is done I have another underpainting I'm thinking about playing with to create expressive layers.

Next is the houding layer (applying warm and cool colours to model the dimensionality of the face).