Another of Nan

[Janel Maples]

Alex,

I echo what everyone else is saying but I'd like to add a question.

Do you ever (or perhaps I should ask would you ever) take photos of your work
in progress in steps from start to finish? Your paint strokes look so fresh that I am curious what is underneath, if anything.

I also really enjoy the close ups.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Marina and Janel, thanks for your kind words!

Janel, I'm glad the strokes look fresh. I build the paint up in about 3 layers, not that I count them or anything, it just usually turns out that way. If I don't like a certain section (if it looks labored over or if the brushstrokes don't look the way I want them to be), I wipe it out and try again. Even if the paint is partially dry, wiping out with a paper towel smoothes it out and gets off any thicker strokes so it's easier to paint over without getting muddy.

I left a lot of the underpainting showing in the rosebush. I first used sap green (dark but transparent) mixed with burnt umber and burnt sienna. On top of that I added thicker paint only where I needed it. The figure of Nan was done in thicker, more opaque layers.

Actually I have done a few WIPs here that might show the stages you are referring to. They are:

http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?t=7475

http://forum.portraitartist,com/showthread.php?t=6922

http://forum.portraitartist.com/showthread.php?=6260

But you might have seen these already.

[Janel Maples]

Thank you Alex,

Do I feel stupid?

Yep!

Not sure where I've been that I've missed these.

[Michele Rushworth]

Tom wrote:

bold application; rich, clean color; GREAT light; really palpable feeling of sculptural mass and weight, terrific characterization. What more could one want?

My thoughts exactly!