Water Lily, Pulling Back

This evening was about pulling back the chroma. First were scumbles over the lily pads, then glazes of chromium oxide and viridian. The water got glazes of alizarin for the foreground and viridian for the background. I'm trying to portray depth with warm and cool. It's really slow going and I wish I had more hours each day to devote to this.

Something I just realized is that I'm making almost no holes, meaning that I'm picking up a sense of control by waiting for the previous coat to be completely dry before applying the next layer. I use a hairdryer as needed when I'm in a hurry.

More Water Lily

I didn't get a whole lot of time this evening but there was a bit of development on the lily, then a bit on the pads, and finally some glazing of the top half with alizarin crimson. I think the glazing is pushing back some distance as it brings down the Prussian Blue's chroma and generally cools it down.

Water Lily 2

After posting last evening I spent more hours on this painting. Here's where I left off late last night. These are scans. I like how the glare is reduced and the Prussian Blue gets to show off its rich beauty.

And here's today's work. More layers of chromium oxide, followed by glazes of yellow ochre. I think I need to turn to the flower next, establishing back petals. After that, it's a matter of working around the painting, giving attention to all areas. That's something Koo taught me, to build up all aspects a bit at a time.

Water Lily

Today I mixed Viridian and Alizarin Crimson pigment pastes and used them for glazes. Later I made my own transfer paper, painting a mix of denatured alcohol and yellow ochre onto tracing paper. That was used to transfer the water lily image I'd earlier sized to fit the gesso panel. Now I'm scumbling and glazing and glazing...

Getting Started

I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that I now probably have enough Prussian Blue pigment for six months! Although I'd mulled a few pigments and set them up under water, most of my pigments here at home have been mixed on the fly. I've since learned that it's really best to spend time dispersing pigments with a palette knife or muller and putting up enough to last. Over the coming weeks I will be going through my pigments making up pastes.

As well as mixing pastes I'll be developing pigment properties documents. Koo recommends taking the time to get to know one's pigments by research and documenting. Just by making paste one can get the feel for particle size, saturation, and covering ability.

Below is my basic workspace for tempering pigments. Two parts egg, one part distilled water for the tempering medium. Sephora cosmetic sponges for applying paint. Spray bottle for keeping paints wetted.

You might notice a little jar of titanium white behind the medium. This is the only pigment that is mixed dry right into the medium to keep the opacity powerful. It's often applied straight, but sometimes mixed with other pigments. For instance, a bit of yellow ochre might be added to take down the coolness, especially when used for highlights.

Here's a 5x7" gesso board with about 12 sponged on layers. I'm rubbing the surface lightly with cheesecloth every few layers for evening out the finish and developing a nice glow.

Egg Tempera Preparations

We used True Gesso boards for the egg tempera workshop. Nice boards--well back-coated, relatively smooth finish, and not many pinholes. The board is positioned on an easel made and sold by Koo Schadler and her husband Jeff.

Here is a closeup of the surface in raking light.

This photo was taken after a light sanding with 400 grit and a wipe down with denatured alcohol.

Here are the makings for a batch of Prussian Blue pigment paste.

I'm disbursing the pigment on a glass palette, mixing in distilled water with a palette knife.

Here's the final product, ready for the jar.

Elderberry Fireworks

All these blossoms appeared at the same time on the same bush. The sequence reminds me of fireworks.

Values

Drawing from the Old Masters Design workshop, what is probably the most important principle is that of clear sections of dark, medium, and light tonal values. On my first day of the workshop, I proudly presented a print of this image. Koo immediately said "No lights!" I explained that of course there were lights, "Just look at that highlight on the pear." After a couple more exchanges, I finally got it. A highlight on a turned form is not a light tonal mass. Each tonal value has to be some kind of object or mass of objects--not just pieces of an object.

This image is, I think, a good example of all three tonal values. And besides that, it also has some interesting black shapes as well as massed tonal values across the lily pads.

Here's a desaturated version of the pear image referenced above. See? No lights!

Around The Lake

The Old Masters Design workshop included a handbook that I'm now taking the time to review. It's probably a better version of my own note taking. I went out around the lake today with the intent of collecting photographs that illustrate those design principles. More on this as the week progresses. For today, here's a peek at one of my favorite spots.

Black Raspberry

While pruning back the Wisteria overtaking the front yard, I came across a hidden patch of Black Raspberry, Rubus occidentalis, of the family Rosaceae. There was a robin close by. I wonder if it was responsible for the berry picking?

Here's a bit of the FAQ from NARBA, The North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association:

Are raspberries and blackberries pollinated by bees? Most cultivars of blackberries, black raspberries, and raspberries are self-fruitful and do not require pollinizers, but honey bees are naturally attracted to brambles. Wind also aids pollination. Dewberries are self-incompatible, and must be inter-planted with other types for good fruit set.

Can I grow raspberries and blackberries plants from seed? Wild brambles often are, spread by birds which eat the fruit, but cultivated varieties are reproduced vegetatively by root cuttings, tip layering, or suckering. This insures that the exact same qualities of the parent plant are continued in the "daughter plants". Plants grown from seed are variable and unpredictable. Bramble breeders wanting to control the crosses put pollen of one type into flowers of another, grow new plants from seed that develops, and then choose the best of these for fnew cultivars or further breeding.

How do you tell the difference between a blackberry and black raspberry? The most obvious difference is that a black raspberry is hollow -- the core of the fruit stays on the plant when it is picked, while the core stays in a blackberry. Black raspberry fruit are also smaller, less shiny. and have a bluish waxy coating between the sections of the berry.

Fluorescent Light Comparison

The BlueMax bulbs are in and most welcome. Here is a side by comparison with a warm light bulb I'd been using and the new BlueMax bulb. Each side is lit with a corresponding bulb. An isolating sheet of white cardboard is in place down the middle.

The warm bulb is labeled with a color temperature of 2700K and CRI is not listed. The BlueMax is labeled with a color temperature of 5500K and a CRI of 93.

Isn't it amazing how we adjust our color perception to lock onto "white"?

2700K                          5500K

Egg Tempera V

Today's discussions involved tiled floors and perspective design. It's an interesting subject that I'll explore later. Later in the day Koo discussed protective coatings for tempera paintings--varnish, shellac, and wax--and demonstrated the application of shellac.

I got in some painting today. Not as much as previous days but I was feeling rather tired. I figured it best to go slow so as not to go backwards.

And here it is! My project for the week. Although a simple composition, there's a lot going on. Stone work. Turning form on the egg. Radially gradated background. Light and shadow on cloth. There are many mistakes in this piece which made for a lot of discovery. I estimate 20 hours work here.

It's been an incredible two weeks of art workshops, my first in person instruction. I am glowing with a warm satisfaction of fun and learning.