Side-lit Open Studio Model
 

Oil, around 22" x 16". I painted this during Saturday's 3-hour open studio session. I wanted to show everybody here the dramatic underside/side lighting (I wish I could say that I thought of doing the setup like this, but it was somebody else's idea). I'm going to try this at home next. By the way, I cropped this to show how I bring a support to open studio: I thumbtack (sometimes tape down) good quality linen to a fiberboard and if the painting turns out to be okay, I glue it to masonite or stretch it on stretcher bars when its dry.

Oooh, Linda, it's gorgeous! I love all the colors you used in her skin. Also, there is such a sense of depth in the shadows, it makes the head truly seem 3-D and come forward from the canvas plane. In only 3 hours--that's mighty impressive.

LInda, this is just beautiful! I think your work gets freshier and better every time I see it. How about a close -up?

Also would you post the portrait I saw at the Scottsdale Artists' School last week called "Jamie?"

Thanks Alex! Daniel Gerhartz was in town teaching last week and I think he used this light setup in his workshop class, or at least that's what I was told. I'm usually pretty fast. This model was a real challenge for me for many reasons - unfamiliar lighting, non-Caucasian skin tones, etc. - I really had to concentrate.

That lighting is very challenging.
It is simply beautiful. By the way, I love your "Is it Dusk or Dawn?", I hope to see it in person someday.

Thanks, Claudimir, for that nice comment about that painting - that model was fun to paint also.

Chris - you are being very kind - I am fresh (and fast) because I only spend about twenty seconds taking measurements of a live model. They always move anyway, so I keep things very loose until I decide it's time to tighten up.

Here's a closeup of this one while I go off and look for an image of that other portrait:

Just found this...I LOVE it. Wonderful, luscious color!

Best--T

Wow Linda,
Three hours? I'm impressed. This is beautiful! (i'm also jealous.)

Oh Linda it's gorgeous! (and so fast. :exclamati )

Juicy, rich, beautiful!!!

Tom, you are to me the complete portrait pro, and I always treasure your compliments, thank you!

Richard, I really appreciate your kind support and I'd love to see you at an open studio session one of these days.

Terri, if I could paint those elegantly subtle transitions found in your paintings, I wouldn't be splashing all this paint around.

Patricia, you have such a fine and sensitive eye in your own work - thank you for your post.

Linda oh Linda - I am speechless! That is simply gorgeous! Her LIPS!

Can you share what sort of palette & set-up you take with you to open studio?

Oh wow - this is gorgeous!!

3 hours. I hate you. ;)

I second that. It's not fair - I couldn't do that in 30 hours. This is SOooo good.

Exceptional!! ;)

David

Linda, is such a joy to see your work, and what work!
And this is so...you, lips included!
I am most of all speechles for your speed: if you'd see where I am after three hours! I'd have barely filled in the biggest areas, I think!
Looking forward to see the other work

xxx
Ilaria

I third that! O no dear Linda, I don't mean I hate you, I mean this is a gorgeous accomplishment. The transitions are wonderful. Congratulations!

Garth

Spectacular!!!
 

I was afforded the luxury of seeing this in person today and it IS absolutely beautiful!!! Sure do wish I could do one as beautiful as this in 3 hours. Thanks, Linda.

Cindy, Kim, David, Ilaria, Garth and Carol, you are such good painters, I'm honored to get these compliments.

About the three hour session... well, the idea is to get both speed and accuracy, you don't really get brownie points for speed itself. When I paint I concentrate on getting the values and the facial planes down, and then I start placing features. People always move slightly and I try to leave them a little wiggle room for as long as I can. I can't get very much really subtle work done in three hours, other than soften some edges, so I do things like bring huge brushes and wipe the canvas with a rag, etc. .

Cindy, are you asking me about color or about the actual palette I hold?

This might just be the very best open studio portrait I have ever seen!

Linda, you are Awesome! x 10

I can see your inspiration as you were presented with this challenge. It seems to me that You love a good challenge. Understanding the basic principles of painting and using them is the foundation, as you so nicely pointed out. After that it is to match the shapes and hue at proper value. You have done all that and wallah! A wonderful luscious portrait study.

Linda, thank you for reminding me and sharing with us!

Beautiful work, Linda. Luscious paint application!

Michelle, your twenty bucks are in the mail. :) I especially appreciate this from you since I know you earned your dues on the street drawing passersby, as did I. You know, I really am taking entirely too much credit here for the knockout beauty of this model. The way the light hit that jaw - it just blew me out of the water. I've been painting in life classes and open studios for ... hmmm... maybe fifteen years, nine of them here in the Valley where I have good access to models. When things click it is a huge rush of endorphins.

Speedy painting from life like this is probably kind of a parlor trick, like juggling or maybe flipping your eyelids back on top of your eyeballs.

Mischa, you are very kind to say this, and I'm really enjoying your wit and talent here on the Forum.

Julie, I also enjoy your work, and thank you for these kind comments!

Okay - now that I think about it, the question is sort of dorky. I'm referring to the palette you hold, and even dorkier - how do you transport your stuff to and from the studio? (Where's that red-faced embarrassed smilie?)

Can you do that? My 12 year old son does it - it's so gross it freaks me out.

Linda, Linda, Linda!
 

I really don't know WHAT to add to the kudos except that I think it is amazing.

I personally love uplighting and this is a wonderful and fresh example of how effective it can be done with restraint and talent.

Again, I would STILL be looking for my yellow ochre.

Oh Linda, how did I miss this! I'm most blown away by her neck! That is an incredibly graceful and powerful line. Then I noticed everything else, and the attitude. She really has that "retinal burn" factor. I won't even mention the 3 hours.

Jean

Your son is very talented! Everybody should have at least one freakish gift to liven up dull parties, board meetings, etc. Actually, I can vibrate my irises very rapidly, not that this has ever made me popular, I have to say.

About the set up - I put blobs of my paint in a flattish Tupperware container and keep it in the freezer (I put paint left over from a day's painting session in with the blobs) and take it to open studio. When I get there I just transfer the blobs to my handheld palette. If I had a bigger freezer I would just keep the whole palette in there (with the mixing area always scraped clean). I have two palettes going by the way, one with my outside colors and one with my inside colors. I once had a very beautiful Turtlewood palette (found at Michael Shane Neal's site) but I gave it away to another artist (I can't believe I did that, it was beautiful).

For the rest, I keep a big canvas shopping bag with art supplies in it, ready to go. I keep a checklist taped to the bag so that I can go through and make sure I have everything I need and I don't leave home without something. I keep around three or four 24" x 30" Masonite panels with taped linen canvas to them so that I can just grab one and go, either to open studio or a landscape.

Sharon, get back down here soon and do a great setup for us all!

Jean, there is always so much drama in your own work, and thank you for your nice comments.