Zachary, Daniel Greene's class

[Geri Comicz]

Chris,

I very seldom have much to say, but, had to respond.

This portrait is so awe inspiring. Tremendous work.

I know it is in oil and not pastel, but the colors you chose are beautiful. I was wondering if perhaps you could share your palette?

Daniel Greene is one of my most favorite artists. What a wonderful treat to have studied under him. I have been working with his pastel videos, "Erika" and "Jim" and you have definetly captured the "Greene" techique taught but still remained Chris Saper.

Thank you,
Geri

[Jeff Fuchs]

Steven,

Sorry I made you type so much, especially since we already agree on most points. I never measure very small distances by any method than my own observation. I'd give up on drawing altogether if I felt I had to do that. And I do try to use Greene's method as closely as I can, but you can't beat good old fashioned measurements for the major stuff, like placing the ear in the right spot, or getting the skull size right.

Major measurements are the only ones you can (or need to) measure with any certainty.

[Chris Saper]

Steven,

Thank so much for providing an excellent and most thorough response to Jeff's inquiry. I agree with your description. I also think that, like many other very accomplished painters, Greene's eye is so well-trained, he just skips the part with the measuring. tool. Personally I need that tool. Like the carpenter's rule, I measure twice, put once. (Then I measure again.)

Geri,

Thanks. I used Daniel Greene's palette, which is as Steven describes here Most of the colors (all the earth tones plus sap green) were foreign to me, but they work. Ultramarine blue is an optional color. All of Greene's oil videos describe the mixing process. It makes a lot of sense to pastellists because it follow the idea of one hue, with six values for each of several colors. Then the decision to make is: Is it warm, cool, or ochre?

[Steven Sweeney]

I also think that, like many other very accomplished painters, Greene's eye is so well-trained, he just skips the part with the measuring tool.

I can't skip that part, either. I did enjoy watching the video again, long after I've learned what he's on about, and seeing how even at the stage of putting the very very loose charcoal gesture drawing on the canvas, he has a mental image of plumb lines. You have to watch closely. Even though he approaches the canvas with those windmilling arms, there will be times when he'll very quickly hold the charcoal up to, say, his view of the side of the model's head, take a relative reading on some other feature -- the crook of the arm, perhaps -- and turn and do the same plumb line assessment on the canvas, and the whole process takes about a second and is all in one movement. He does it so quickly and by now intuitively -- just a quick tap on the side of the head and then his hand drops down at just the right angle to mark the arm landmark -- that you'll miss it if you haven't internalized the process a bit yourself.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Well heck, it sounds like you're both agreeing with what I said. Maybe I didn't express myself very clearly, but you both seem to measure in all directions, just as I said in my post. I never said anything about measuring small distances (not sure how you got that from my post.)

I didn't mean to take anything away from Daniel Greene's technique. I just thought that we lesser artists need to measure in every way we have at our disposal.

Now that we're all on the same page, let me say what I neglected in the first place: Wonderful painting, Chris.

[Chris Saper]

Thank you, Jeff.

[Richard Huante]

Beautiful work, Chris. I love your edges and use of temperature, especially on the cheek.

[Chris Saper]

Richard, thanks.

I mixed all those greenish tones with cad yellow medium and ivory black, plus a little flake white.

Then warmed them in places with ochre or raw sienna.

[Karin Wells]

This is really a gorgeous painting! Can you post a detail so we can see that yummy surface up close and personal?

Chris and Steven, thanks for the warning on alphabetical seating. If I ever take Greene's workshop, I'm changing my last name to "Aardvark" so I don't get stuck with the back of the model's head.

[Chris Saper]

Detail.

Karin,

It wouldn't matter, you'd get first choice in the afternoon.