Final Study, untitled, oil on masonite panel, 8 x 10″
This morning, I finished the studio version of the final study in a few hours.
The point of this step is to take what I’ve seen, all the observations, and begin shaping it into a painting, the best of everything.
It’s a real joy to work indoors with just my memories and impressions, away from the subject. The craziness of the battle becomes a bit more contemplative. Now I’m getting at the painting as I want it to read to the viewer, as it might appear from across a room when first glimpsed.
As I worked, I asked myself these questions (my responses are provided in italics):
What is this painting going to be about? What drew me in? What emotional response?
(For the moment, awe, powerful energy and beauty associated with strength.)
What can I do to bring that out that while maintaining the spirit of the place?
(simplify and create order.)
How?
(Be clear about dominant and secondary points of interest, find an overall structure. Looks like a pyramid could work. Find a rhythm that I can repeat. Eliminate clutter and details. Capture the true color and simplify it…may require another visit. The green in the foreground wave, especially, may set the tone for the whole piece. Make it the dominant color, but a hair warmer. Give air around the masses, push the darks in the foreground, and their colors. Palette knife scraping in the shadows? Fantin LaTour sketches come to mind.)
A comparison with the earlier plein-air sketch I’ve posted will show how some of these things are working themselves out.
3 Comments
Wow! Mark, have to come back to this more in depth tomorrow and digest this. J.
Aloha Jerry, Hope this reflects what we’ve been discussing the past 7 weeks in our class.
Wow Mark, just visiting your site after a month on the mainland. Miss our Tuesday am sessions of last Summer. Did a number of sketches of Olympic Nat. Park area and Banff which I plan to convert to more finished studies or paintings.
Congratulations on your and Rogers pending publication in a watercolor magazine. Can’t wait to see both of your work. Hope it is in “Watercolor Artist” as I subscribe to that publication
The addition of warmth in the white of the wave and the value changes surrounding the mid-fore ground lesser rock really nailed for me the “go to point” with an escape in the larger lighter value rock behind.
I really enjoy and learn from your blog!
Jerry