Monochrome oil sketch

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Very beautiful.

[Chris Saper]

Gorgeous.

Did you paint this portrait in one session? How did you contend with the paint as it began to dry? I would love to hear about the actual process and how you applied and managed the paint!

[Linda Brandon]

I like this, Valentino!

[Valentino Radman]

Thank you.
Yes, I painted this portrait in one sitting. I didn't have any problems with quick drying; on the contrary. I used WN Raw Umber, Old Holland Burnt Umber and a mixture of turp and linseed oil for making paint more fluid. I usually do not dilute paint with anything, but I wanted this one to dry as fast as possible.
My original intention was to make an imprimatura and proceed with glazes, but ultimately I left it in this stage. I liked the way it looks; I thought it possesses a certain "freshness" which might have been lost if I had brought it to a higher level of finish.
Most of the time I used large flat bristle brush. Small filberts were used in the very beginning (for a drawing) and in later stages for finishing details.
Here are a couple of wip shots.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Valentino,

Wonderful! You handled the umbers so well. I like her long fingers and the transparency of the shadows. Thanks for taking the WIP shots and posting them!