How much time do you spend painting?

Richard Budig · 05-31-2005, 08:14 AM

Maybe I just don't have enough to do, but I find myself wonder, as I paint my mornings away, how much time others spend painting.

I have painted a small head in a short time -- 45 minutes to an hour and a half -- but usually, it's a several-day affair.

One of the things that amazes me is that as I work along, I begin to see more and more value separations and more and more subtle colors. So, I justify the days I spend painting a portrait by the way it "reveals" itself to me.

I really envy those who can whip out a portrait in a few hours.

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 06-01-2005, 03:32 PM

I spend almost as much time looking, considering, contemplating judging, the work as I do painting. I look for similar paintings to find design solutions, colour armonies, atmospheres.
I do paint my mornings away, and sometimes my afternoons, and in this season the evenings, and spend ages on the same painting, sometimes only destroying any good there was.
Can't do the few hours thing too, Richard!
Ilaria

Richard Monro · 06-01-2005, 09:56 PM

I am toast after 3 or 4 hours at the easel. I envy my fellow artists who can stay in the zone for 6, 7 or 8 hours. However, from a business stand point, a half a day marketing what you produced in the other half day is a very good idea.

Michele Rushworth · 06-05-2005, 03:25 PM

I have increased my stamina (by painting commissions with tight deadlines) to where I can go for 6 to 8 hours if I have to. Six hours is my norm.

The baseball portrait on my site was painted in 10 days of 10 hours each day. I don't ever want to do that again!

But then I'll have weeks at a time (like these past few weeks) where all I'm dong is marketing and follow up stuff. I'm itching to get back to the easel!

Karin Lindhagen · 10-03-2005, 05:11 PM

I do most of the job with the model sitting live in front of me. Even though I try to keep the model cheerful by chatting away, after 3 hours or so the model starts getting tired, his eyelids droop and his shoulders sag. So I divide the job into several (maybe 3-7) sittings of 2-3 hours each time.

I really like working with live models. I think it improves the painting, and the chatting is also a fun way of getting to know people I would never have met otherwise.

Heidi Maiers · 10-03-2005, 07:26 PM

I find I do my best work in the wee hours and usually sculpt on weekends (most of the day and night) and on most weekday nights from 9PM to 2AM - then get up at 5AM and go to work. Call me crazy.

I do agree with Llaria about spending almost as much time studying and contemplating as doing the actual work. I find that when I watch TV (which is rare) that I am not watching at all, but studying the faces. When at the gym, constantly studying faces (and trying not to be obvious about staring at people!). When talking with people, sometimes I find myself staring at their forehead, chin, etc. I'm sure they are wondering what the heck I'm looking at.

As far as actual time spent on a piece - anywhere from 5 days to 5 months.

Richard Monro · 10-03-2005, 09:56 PM

I thought I was the only crazy one here. I used to work from 2:30 am till 10PM seven days a week. That time included painting in 3 to 4 hour stretches and a non-art job to put bread on the table. We must all be nuts. I'm retired now from the non-art job....life is now much more interesting.