My first grisaille

Tito Champena · 02-09-2003, 08:22 PM

This is the first step on this portrait. It's a grisaille underpainting and after making some adjustments, I will start applying glazes of color. However before I do that, I would like to hear some critiques since the painting is not finished and corrections are still possible.

Tito Champena · 02-09-2003, 09:00 PM

This is another shot of the same painting that shows that entire size of the canvas. This one shows a little distortion because I had to angle the painting a little bit to avoid some reflexions.

Sharon Knettell · 02-10-2003, 09:16 AM

Tito,

This looks like a masterful and accomplished grisaille. As this is not a method I use, I will leave comments about it to others that do.

However, the first thing that struck me was the intensity of the light in the eyes. It is so strong that it completely detracts from the very sensitive modeling. Check your model or reference and you will see the the eyelight in overhead lighting is extremely subtle or not visible at all. Also, the closest eyelight is usually stronger than the one further back.

Sincerely,

Peter Jochems · 02-10-2003, 09:55 AM

I never make my underpaintings this detailed. It looks like a finished painting to me. (I share Sharon's critique about the highlights in the eyes, they look unnatural.) I personally would regret it when you apply colour - or change anything else - on this one, because it is a truly beautiful painting as it is now.

Peter

Tito Champena · 02-10-2003, 02:29 PM

I appreciate your critiques. Actually there was another light in front of the sitter that he was looking at.

Tito Champena · 02-10-2003, 03:00 PM

I'm amazed at Sharon's perception, she is quite right the original finished grisaille did not have highlightes in the eyes. I added them as an afterthought because I was afraid the eyes needed more definition. I guess you can't fool Mother Nature. Here is the photo before I put the highlights:

Mike McCarty · 02-10-2003, 04:53 PM

Tito,

I would hold on to this image (the quality looks very good on my screen). This will be difficult to improve upon with color in my opinion. I look forward to the comparison. Good luck.

Josef Sy · 02-10-2003, 05:10 PM

Tito,

That looks awesome. I agree with Sharon about the highlight. It looks more natural now without the highlight. Great job.

Enzie Shahmiri · 02-10-2003, 10:29 PM

Hi Tito,

This is a wonderful rendering, the work looks very mature and I could not find anything wrong with it, especially after you changed the highlights in the eyes. That lock of hair in the front is sort of funky looking and makes me wonder how the portrait should be dated, since that type of hairdo is reminiscent of a different era.

I met a young art student by the name of Jim Nam, who works exactly how you are approaching this piece. He showed an absolutely gorgeous under-painting and proceeded by tinting the image with very thin transparent color glazes. He said he uses transparent Blue Oxide, Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Oxide, Red Oxide and Flake White 1 and 2. He called his medium a Gel medium, which consisted of a mix of Copal and Walnut Oil or cold pressed Linseed Oil mixed in Brazilian Turp. His brush strokes were short dabs and reminded me of impressionistic paintings. I have not used this combination of medium myself and since this young man was from Vietnam, we might have dealt with some miscommunication or mislabeling. I am curious if you know of these mixes. The end result was phenomenal and the skin looked like it was pulsating with life. If I can find him and convince him to teach me his technique I will share the experience with you all.

Denise Hall · 02-10-2003, 11:52 PM

Tito,

This is so good as a grisaille. I know you want to go through with the glazing, but they are all right about it standing alone without another color.

If you don't mind, please tell me how you photographed this so clearly. Not a digital, is it?

His eyes look great just like they are now. Needs not one highlight.

Congratulations,
Denise