With this last pass, I tried to commit to a value scheme of dark patterns over medium values with highlights on both the figure and the foreground. As an experiment, I stamped out textures in the background in an attempt to give more place to the figure... I then changed my mind and redid the background... trying to part from the textural aspect of the foreground for variety!
Although my new process is far from being optimal for now, I feel pumped up for the next painting of this series!
Note: For some reasons the previous lime green background felt weak... I went for army khaki with touches of lime! Also, I felt there were no commitment on the previous background, dabs instead of sweeps!
Note to self: "I need to get used to painting with a palette knife, especially backgrounds. Also, adopting a a new style is accepting/getting used to a new look... and this is difficult... leaving something behind!"
I also had a hard time dosing the pure quinacridrone violet as I underestimated its power relative to the magenta version... fortunately, the whole scene is dark any way.
... knowing that everything is on borrowed time!
Moreover, I'm also using a violet as a red and I seem to be having magenta withdrawal symptoms! It's no surprise that looking at me painting is like looking at a dog in a bowling alley! Despite all of this, I'm close to where I want to be, by hook or crook...
I've got a find a way to drag some of the dark tone into the remaining lighter areas while making the transition interesting and gradual. I haven't worked too much on the anatomy yet... and I have to say that the appearance of an elbow at the unbent arm joint is sticking out "like a sore thumb"!
... may be I should pursue in the same vein!
... it would be interesting to convey this in paint...
My first painting (top) was literally a "fail safe" portrait of the Yoga instructor I'm using as a model for this series. The second one (bottom) is more representative of the new direction I finally want to take in 2010, i.e., mixing techniques and emphasizing textures more than ever. In my quest for textures, I found that by creating partly absorbent (paste) and partly non absorbent (gel) grounds, I could leverage both watercolor and opaque painting techniques. In a way, I want portions of any of my paintings to appear unfinished as if reality is gradually emerging from nothingness...
Although my new process is far from being optimal for now, I feel pumped up for the next painting of this series!
