Tony Pro' s technique
 

Is there anybody who can explain how Tony Pro can get the glaze on the edge in these paintings.Does he use maroger or something else?

Maybe Tony would like to explain. Tony?

The glaze technique is actually a color theory I employ called "Optical Red" and "Optical Blue"....

I gave a description of this a year or so ago on this site.

It's actually not a glaze technique at all... I don't use glazes. If you see an original of mine, you will notice that it's thick paint.

When you light flesh with warm light, it 'radiates' a warm reflection of light and to interpret it into paint I use red as a hallation effect. It also works in reverse in cool light, I use Ultramarine or Viridian or a combination of both to give a felling of a glow or halo effect.

Think of light as a bucket of water. If you throw a bucket of water on a form, some water will bounce back if you watch it in slow motion. The 'bounce back' is a reflection of water and light behaves the same way.

Sargent used this as well as Sorolla.

Hope I didn't completely confuse you!
Tony

soft edge
 

I couldn't believe you answered me!!!!
I read about the "optical red"on the Forum , but at that time I didn't
know your paintings.
I must have time to think about it , becouse I'd like to post an appropriate answer.
Thanks so much!!

Tony is a member of the forum, and one of the purposes of the forum is to share ideas and information. There are many accomplished artists hanging out here. So don't be surprised if you ask and get answers!

Hi Alexandra
Thanks for the encouragement .
I take the opportunity to say that , in spite of all I've read about "optical red", I tried to look at my bald cousin all the time ,and I saw only the complementary color of his skin floating becouse of the lack of focusing. Anyway the marvellous and transparent "aurea" in Tony's painting fades into another color , and penetrates the background . How would you call it technically speaking?

Adriano

:sunnysmil My experience is that sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't! I've had the strange experience of seeing the halo effect in photos taken with my digital camera when I can't see it in real life!

Nevertheless, it's one of those magical things that has a scientific basis. In case anyone is interested, here's a link to the thread that Adriano is referring to:

http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=4205

"It's actually not a glaze technique at all... I don't use glazes. If you see an original of mine, you will notice that it's thick paint."

Hi Tony
I tried to understand your procedure. In the John Smith's painting you can see very easily the sandy color under the grey blu sweater.
So how would you call this effect? not a glaze? what 's driping on the right side?turpentine? ....then ...It seems there is a color (as I saw in a photo of yours while you paint a woman ) that pervades all the face. And a light drawing made by burnt Sienna. I think this should be the first approach.
Adriano

The second passage should be to put large masses of
enlightened planes and shadows. The carnation seems to be played
between cold and hot values .(very clean and pastelled colors)....

I used a little amount of color and I'm sure Tony uses a thick "impasto",but , even if I had wonted to imitate him, I didn't know how to obtain the some final effect.
Anyway I cannot believe this painting I tried to imitate is done "alla prima".
Maybe Tony would explain to me.

Ok, what you are seeing that is dripping is a wash that used for the backround using the Mayer medium (5 parts turp, 1 part stand oil, 1 part Damar Varnish) and Transparent Oxide Red and Ultramarine Blue, and black... this gives you a DEEP, rick black in the background.
you saw a general tone i put over the face when i paint Alla Prima, I follow Richard Schmid's technique but I do more form building in the begining than he does. Mainly because he can get the form and the edges all in one stroke... he's a Master at age 70.... I have about 38 years to catch up to him.
T

Hi Tony
As you said you like to paint like Sargent does ,can you tell me if you use a hard brush at the biginning (as you can see in a Sargent's painting) and how you 've got the beautiful soft edge in "Geisha's painting" ?

"Geisha"'s painting

To get the soft edges in clothing or any soft transition, I follow what Sargent did, which was use a few transitional strokes of a middle value between your foreground element and your background, usually by bristle filbert, than move to a mongoose hair brush and soften some of the passages to get a real lost edge.

By the way, I have seen that Sargent that you posted. It taught me VOLUMES on his method. I think its for sale in a gallery in New York...

Hi Tony,

You are so nice and thoughtful!!

Thanks for the technical explanation. I'll post few Sargent' s paintings details and ask you some questions.

1)If Sargent didn't paint "alla prima" how did he make the hair's transparence you see on the right side of the picture?

2) you can see that the procedure takes a second time session

3) This picture seems to me to have been painted in more then one session... or not?
Feel free to answer me when you've got time. I'm retired and I 'm afraid to get a little obsessionated by Sargent 's painting.
Ciao
Adriano

I'd like to subscribe to this thread and follow along with some answers too. I so admire Sargeant's work. All these examples are absolutely stunning. Thanks for bringing up these questions Adriano and for sharing with us Tony.

Dianne

Hi Dianne
I'm very pleased to share everything I know about Sargent's technique.
That's why I asked Tony ,because I think he can explain to us how to proceed to get by half tones the planes and the volumes of a face.
Ciao Adriano

You should realize that Sargent painted as if he was painting alla prima. It was a long process but it was one that required painting wet into wet. So in effect, he was painting alla prima. His transparent passages came from using thins paint diluted with linseed oil.

One of the best ways to see how Sargent painted or similar to how Sargent painted is to get the book Painting a Potrait by Phillip de Laszlo, as interviewed by A.L. Baldry. De Laszlo was Sargent's predecessor as to being the portrait painter of English Royalty.
He was about 15 years younger than Sargent, and it is rumored that they had shared painting ideas together and maybe even painted together, although its hard to say. de Laszlo certainly studied the same methods as Sargent and he painted the same people, just 10 years later.
It's the closest thing to an instructional that I have found to how Sargent painted WITH DESCRIPTIVE PICTURES! An amazing treasure... if you can find one! It is on teh internet though for online viewing but the actual book is great as there is a REAL Windsor Newton swatch of his palette in the book. Fantastic!
Tony :thumbsup:

Hi Tony
Thanks for the informations,unfortunately I cannot get this book ...but I've seen many details in Sargent's paintings where the overlapping is evident . Anyway I'm wondering what would be your work if you had used brush overlapping. I cant realized how you can get such a cleaned and pastelled result just in one session.
Do you use a drying medium?
Ciao
Adriano

Some others

and others

I've just realised that I have to sey something if I wont to have my imagine posted.....or not?

Hi,

It's nice to see you guys chatting about these interesting stuff.
I'd like to suggest you Adriano to visit this link http://www.worldofportraitpainting.c...es/laszlo1.htm

Bye.

Hi Claudemir
Thanks for this marvellous site,
I'm going to extend my knowledge about portrait's painters .
Ciao
Adriano

Yes Claudemir -- Thanks! Laszlo's comments about positioning a mirror so that the subject can see what you're doing at the painting --as a way to keep the sitter interested/animated in expression -- are particularly helpful! :thumbsup:

Yes, and the mirror helps a lot getting the likeness!

Hi Claudemir

I found that sometime if you look at a photo edited on the contrary you hardly recognize your face,because we haven't got simmetrical features. I wouldn't be sure about getting likeness through a mirror.

By the way, Lazlo is a very skillful painter, but I prefer Boldini.

It seems to me that if you use overlapping and glazing your oil painting, you get deeper and richer in value.

Ciao
Adriano

Buona sera,

You have to stand back until you can compare both the painting and the sitter in one glance. Doing so, you'll be able to evaluate the effectiveness of your design. Believe me, it works!
Ciao.

Hi Claudemir
Next time I'll do a portrait from life I'll try to follow your instructions!
Thanks
Adriano

Great Thread
 

This has been one of the most informative and inspirational threads I've ever read on this or any other art forum. Thanks guys~!!! ;)

~Gear

Thanks Geary
I take the opportunity to post some beautiful details from Sorolla,
that show the use of overlapping. Isn't this an abstract work?
Adriano

Check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIjanRVdo8
Hope you'll enjoy it!

Hi Claudemir
I liked very much your demo. It's a pity there isn't one about portraits.
Is the demo done "alla prima"? Because I saw a strange knife that should have been used with dry painting ...or not?
Thanks again
Adriano

You're right!
That tool is used when the painting is dry.

Here it is.
I thought I had posted this already, sorry about that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewnMVH0uVC0

Hope you'll enjoy it.

Hi Claude
Thans also for this one!!
Adriano

You're quite welcome.