Head study

Catherine Muhly · 02-11-2003, 01:39 PM

Here is a head study I did after completing a full figure painting (nude) of the model in a life painting class. I spent three 6-hour class periods on the figure, minus the 2-1/2 hours I spent on the head study. The canvas is 12"x16".

Catherine Muhly · 02-11-2003, 01:40 PM

Here is a close-up of the head.

Chris Saper · 02-11-2003, 07:18 PM

Wonderful job, Cathy. I think you have used color and temperature beautifully - your planes are stated so clearly, and you have managed to be both subtle and painterly at the same time.

Much easier said than done!

Leslie Ficcaglia · 02-21-2003, 09:00 AM

Catherine, this is excellent. I very much admire your style; your use of brushwork and texture gives the planes of your surfaces an almost carved impression that's very appealing. Lovely painting!

Linda Ciallelo · 02-22-2003, 06:31 PM

This is beautiful! I love the glow from the pink color underneath. I would never have thought of using that color, but it works very well. Your work always has a nice, straight forward, clean look. I like your use of color.

Lon Haverly · 02-23-2003, 03:43 AM

Beautiful, Catherine! How far away were you from the model? Do you get to help decide the lighting and background colors? Was the background green as shown?

Karin Wells · 02-23-2003, 12:01 PM

Very painterly. Very nice.

Catherine Muhly · 02-23-2003, 11:12 PM

Thank you for all your gracious compliments!

Lon -

I was in a large-ish class, in the 2nd row of easels. I'd say that I was between 10' and 15' away from the model. The background was close to that green: it really set off nicely the model's coppery complexion. There was a pink-y cast to the light on the model, that made her glow. I made no adjustments to the set-up.

I prepare a "panic canvas" -- a small toned canvas that I take to every class, just in case the model should fail to show up, a frequent occurrence in the spring semester flu season. I flit between a raw umber wash, a yellow ochre tone, and this pink-y venetian red-with-(a little) flake white, or a grey (or ultramarine+burnt umber mixture, or some other combinations that turn out to be grey).

Velazquez used the reddish tone on his canvas for his Juan de Pareja, much of which he let show as part of his sitter's complexion. Letting the ground be part of the painting is a mark of real confidence, in my opinion. Letting mine show in the vignette style is about as far as I can go in a display of confidence--that, plus the class was winding up.

Again, thank you all for your kind words, and the best to you!

Michele Rushworth · 02-24-2003, 12:01 AM

Beautiful, fresh work, as always, Catherine.

Thanks, also for the description of Velasquez' process on Juan de Pareja. That's one of my favorite paintings and it happens to be the background I'm currently using on my computer screen.