Ultimate fighter XI post-mortem.... Arrangement in pink and grey!

As a last experiment on my previous failure, I went with sort of a reverse "grisaille" by applying black and grey over colors as opposed to the other way around, as old masters used to do...

Funnily enough, this technique could very well have some merit. I'm curious about the impact of a satin varnish on this work.

Note: I felt humoristic this morning, hence the title of this post "winking" at Whistler!

Ultimate fighter XI post-mortem.... The glutton for punishment is back!

Not feeling like attempting another subject this week, I decided to learn something from my recent failure...

 

I applied major surgery to the back and readjusted everything else until I was half satisfied with proportions. I used a black and white photo to better assess improvements. Next step was to attempt "salvage therapy" with colors...

There was a price to pay for not arriving there fast. On the other hand, this one gave me the opportunity to experiment a little... so not all was lost!

Note to self: "The blurry effect I have achieved so far on raw canvas is less painterly than on primed canvas. Raw canvas naturally leads to a foggy blur as paint is absorbed by the canvas. I see an opportunity for 3 types of blur: through paint application (brush strokes, refraction), through wiping out paint and through deconstruction. I wouldn't mind having 3 streams of paintings for a while."

Subnote to self: "May be I should go for a few black and white paintings!"

Ultimate fighter XI final... Cropping my way to some composition!

I seem to be running out of decent compositions for this series, at least as it relates to wrestling positions on the floor. After a few passes, it dawned on me that the elbow on the right was sticking out like a sore thumb...

I elected to curb it somewhat for some improvement! Unfortunately, this composition is also showing too much back for my liking, so I guess this one won't be joining the collection!

For the specific look that I'm now after following my recent paintings, it seems that raw canvas may not fit the bill totally. Pigments need to sit on top of the support... and not sink in! The other aspect is that my new pigments are not as powerful as the ones I routinely use, especially with regard to their staining power. Primed canvas doesn't seem to pose a problem with them but raw canvas is a challenge.

Note to self: "Part of the problem with this painting is that I lost my spontaneity by wanting to apply some sort of formula. Moreover, each time I pussy foot around with a painting, and I don't get what I want fast...results always seem suboptimal."

Subnote to self: "I want to detach myself from my over-dependence on video stills and photographs... I want to move to sketches at least for a part of my future production. This is my challenge for next year!"

Ultimate fighter XI - step II... a bit off balance again!

Being too hasty, I missed an opportunity for ultimate refraction with this second pass...

With the third pass, I'm not sure if I can get as much "patina" and refraction as with primed canvas without relying on an additional transparent layer of gel acting like a glass layer in-between 2 color layers. I'll soon find out. Raw canvas has a definite textural advantage, but it can lead to a chalky pastel look with fewer layers. I'd like to have it both ways, high patina, lots of textures... in three passes flat!

Note: Initially, I felt like "boxing in" the two fighters to create a smothering effect... as a second thought, I decided to leave some space on the right side... to give the two fighters more room to fall on the way side!

Ultimate fighter XI - step I... Back to raw cotton/linen!

I started this one with the intent of trying  to emulate the "new look" that I've developed using primed canvas... but this time using raw canvas, in occurrence raw cotton/linen ...

We'll see how this one goes... I'm curious about the impact on this support. Not taking too much risk, I duct taped a loose piece of canvas on a board for this experiment...

Ultimate fighter X - final... "Fuzziness" is getting clearer!

The last pass allowed some refraction, and I ended up with a slightly different look than the preceding painting partly as a result of using less textural effects from the beginning...

To a certain extent, the smoother surface led to less character. On the other hand, I used more transparency with this one and I like the blurry effect on skin tones.

Note: this canvas is not stretched for now...

I haven't tried the new colors along with my newly developed techniques on raw canvas... so this will be next on my agenda...

Ultimate fighter X - step II... testing how far I can go without blue...

As usual for a first step, I introduced a basic color scheme along with some textural effect...

I like the new colors I received from my sister-in-law very much. Although I have plans to complement my color set with a few strategic blues from the same manufacturer, I want to restrict myself for now and replace my usual blues with purples to see how far I can go with this new color scheme. I think I will call this painting: "Getting some elbow room"... in total disregard to the fighter on the receiving end!

Note to self: "Teal blue is a nice complement to orange and red... I have some withdrawal symptoms already! On the other hand, the prospect of exploring something new, creating a new look is too appealing! By using unusual premixed colors for me, I hope to keep myself off-balance and receptive to new developments!"