First attempt at oil

[Jimmie Arroyo]

I want to thank all of you for the boost of confidence.

Kim, I had planned to make a pencil sketch first this time to hopefully eliminate the extra time it took me to sketch in the likeness the first time. Thanks.

Sharon, I will make sure I squint, squint, squint tomorrow. Thanks for the tip about the limited palette. I'm still going to stick to my two colors for now, but will use the palette in the near future.

Chuck, thanks for the breakdown. I hope to reach the point where it comes naturally.

Garth, thanks for your advice. I just don't feel I'm ready to start thinking about transparent and opaque applications yet. I have no fear of messing up, I expect to, I'd be scared if I did'nt. It's like customers at the tattoo shop panicking that they're worried that they'll bleed. I tell them that I'd be worried if they did'nt. I had decided to work on something new, just to get that 'beginnings' of a painting thing going for me. I should also have a better spot tomorrow, because someone will be out, and I'd like to take the advantage of getting up closer.

Marvin, I'm sorry I can't take your class also. My schedule is REAL tight. It just recently got tighter. My wife is no longer working(going to school for nursing), my daughter is taking a Monday Tai Kwan Do class from 4:45-5:45, my wife gets out of school at 6, and I have to be at the class at 6:30. I work on commission, so missing a day's pay now is harder than ever. Sorry about that, but man, I have to say it aloud to relieve some stress. This Tuesday's the Mega-Millions and your next workshop starts Oct. 1st. Ya never know.

Debra, thanks fo sharing your experience. Good luck.

Thanks again everyone! Hopefully I'll have another to post soon.

[Sharon Knettell]

Jimmie,

Two colors are fine for now. Actually Harold Speed recommends two colors at the beginning. I think his was white and black or raw umber, I am not sure. Just get that paint moving around and make sure your underdrawing is as accurate as possible.

There is a little cheap devise that I use. It is called a C-Thru ruler made by the C-thru ruler company. It is a transparent plastic ruler 2" wide and 12" long. It has red markings every 1/8 of an inch. Hold it up to the subject at the same plane as the drawing or painting if you are doing relative size, ie. the painting is not directly next to the subject as in sight size. Always look at the subject from exactly the same point of view. The measurements can be quite accurate this way. Remember the eyes at the inside corner are always in the middle of the head and keep dropping those vertical lines for accuracy. A plumb line is a big help for that. I use a lead fishing weight at the end of a string. You can probably find a plumb line as well.