Kim: The rebellion.

[Debra Jones]

I thought you might visit if the excitement I had doing this piece was in the title.

I got into studio today and it looked like I had lucked out in having the summer doldrums let me have a model ALL to myself! So I got to set her up and have things my way.

I took a short blue gelled lamp and plunked the model ON the model, stand, not on a chair on the stand. I seem to always have short foreheads because they are above me. So I had the luxury of putting her almost at eye level. I also was much closer than usual.

I blocked her in with raw umber in the first 20 minutes but have begun taking charcoal to sketch first. Those five minutes making sure I have a pose, and committing it to MY desires, not chasing the model are making a really big improvement in my picture strategies.

Then after the break, I tried to lay in color and tone. The blue side was actually not much lighter than the ambient warmer light in the room, but I made a choice to emphasize the light and temperature for the drama. I didn't have the time to build a proper value color, so I simplified it for effect.

I took the first two shots because I had fear that she would move too much or I would blow it all together, blue and gold skin could turn into unglamorous mud in a hearbeat, but it didn't.

Here are my sketch - first twenty, Color and value block - second twenty, and finish at about 2:45 hours.

[Brenda Ellis]

This is lovely, Debra! Great job! Everything looks right.

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Another lovely work Debra!

Everything is beautiful.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Debra,

Lovely job! I can attest to the strong likeness as Kim modeled for my class this last summer at the Scottsdale Artists' School. She is an excellent model and a very lovely person.

[Vianna Szabo]

Debra,

I like all three stages of this painting, nice job!

Vianna

[Molly Sherrick Phifer]

Debra, I love this! I am also very thankful that you took photos in progress. It's wonderful to see the stages that a painting goes through. I love how you "orchestrated" this one from start to finish. Great ideas, great execution. Wow.

[Debra Jones]

Thank you all!

I finally got a photo showing my color. I used a touch of cobalt teal in the glowing light to cool it just enough to let you know it is blue, and oddly, it seemed to give an illusion of actually being LIGHTER than it was.

I love mutinies! There is a painting of Les in his old thread where we grabbed a red uplight and when the participants actually stick it out, the finish is so valuable, because it makes me kick conventions out the window and actually paint what I see. For me that is how my autopilot works best. When I put a picture together by rules, it gets stiff. When I detatch and use my eye and hand, I force myself to actually paint.

The girls in the studio that stopped, kept saying "I just couldn't get the nose right." I bit my lip, but I wanted to tell her, "try not to think of it as a nose. Think of it as an abstract arrangement of color and light and you will forget that it ever was a nose."

[Carol Norton]

To quote John Denver, "Right on!".

Really beautiful, Debra. You must be feeling better. I LOVE the values and color harmony!

[Janel Maples]

I really like this. And 2.45 hours? As my four year old would say "NO FAIR!"

[Julie Deane]

Hi Debra -

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful work. I love seeing how you went about it as well as the result.

Originally Posted by Debra Jones

The girls in the studio that stopped, kept saying "I just couldn't get the nose right." I bit my lip, but I wanted to tell her, "try not to think of it as a nose. Think of it as an abstract arrangement of color and light and you will forget that it ever was a nose."

I've taught a little bit of drawing to folks who get so scared about the idea of drawing a person. I've told them similar to what you said. Even if they're not ready to hear it then, they might remember it one day and take action accordingly. So - why bite your lip?