With the drawing and extraction competed, I move into the painting phase. Where to begin? A focal point perhaps. The red kerchief happens to be in the darker section of the notan study. Yet the vibrant colour attracts all kinds of attention.
The very beginning stages of filling in the spaces between drips and texture allow lots of space between shapes. I use serendipitous drops of paint to locate possible eyes as on this occasion.
Paying more attention to the value study, I continue to fill in the spaces. I make several important changes as I move along. The reference photo, for example, really does not lend itself to balanced colours. I had decided, in this case, to use both phthalo blues, red shade and green shade, to vary the garments on the figure to the right. I repeated the colours on the left as a balance. These decisions are all about composition.
Most of this painting is in the shade. Recognising the green foliage to the top and left, I know I must have a way to repeat the colour elsewhere. I choose to begin with green rather than blue for the water knowing I will fill the spaces between the shapes with blue later.
Variety is the spice of life. The variations in the colours of the rocks come from the prepared mixes, blue and orange, red and green. With the two neutrals and the other four choices variety reigns. Pure colours usually fill the in between. They give that extra pop to keep the eyes interested.
Once I have filled the in between, I take a long look from a distance to determine whether the tonal values are consistent. I adjust as required. Sometimes the drawing is not quite correct, sometimes the shapes need a tweak. Are we done yet? Not quite.
A few finishing touches await before the painting is complete. After that, a series of mundane tasks, not involving a lot of creativity, fulfill requirements for showing any work. We may get the instructions all done before the end of the year, hopefully before my workshop in October!
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