The third live session will be here on:
Monday 31st January
at
6PM UK time (1PM Eastern, 10AM Pacific check the time in your time zone here)
What we’ll be doing
Now we’ve covered value balance and the anatomy of folds, we’re going to move into a colour study.
This study will be done over three sessions in order to give us a chance to really focus on the most important things we need to focus on to produce a good piece.
In this case, “good piece” means:
- Accurate drawing
- Well balanced values that show the subject to best effect
- Subtle handling of the colour to create a strong impression of realism
- Simplification down to the most important elements and ignoring the superficial in order to make a strong image
In this first session, we’ll be:
- drawing out the subject
- mixing the colours for the background and cloth
- Blocking in the background and cloth
- Handling the edges of this stage very carefully
In session two, we’ll add the little silver pitcher and in the final session we’ll add the lemon.
What you’ll need
We’ll be working 8 x 10 inches, so an ampersand panel of those proportions will be ideal. The reference photo is in these proportions too and will print out 8 x 10 inches if you want to use it for drawing out the composition.
Brushes: As well as big enough brushes to lay in large blocks of value (half inch or so) you’ll also need some smaller brushes in order to handle the fine edge control we’ll need. I’d advise having at least one dry synthetic flat for blending, and a couple of smaller synthetic rounds for fine edge handling.
Medium: Linseed oil (refined or cold pressed) and a solvent – we’ll be working into a couch (a thin layer of medium applied to the panel before painting).
Paints:
- Lead and titanium white
- Ivory black
- Raw Umber
- Quinacridone rose
- Ultramarine blue
Please have the five step Munsell neutral value scale mixed before the session starts. Try to make sure that the values you mix are all true neutrals in this case, i.e. they match the Munsell value chips as closely as you can get them.
Click here to watch a video demo of mixing the scale
We’ll be mixing other the other colours we need live in the session. I had intended to supply a mixing video for this, but I’ve decided to do it in the session since I want to have the opportunity to discuss why the colours are the way they are in the live session.
If you want to have a go at the main colours you’ll need, the Munsell notations are:
Background
- 10YR 2/1
- N4
Cloth
- 5PB 9/1
- 5PB 4/1
- 10YR 3/2
These colours are the base from which we’ll extrapolate as we paint. I’ll be discussing the “cool lights warm shadows rule” and chroma in some depth in the session.
Reference photos
Click here to download the reference photo.
It will print out 8 x 10 inches if you print it at the same scale as the image, but I’d caution against using a print out for values – just use it for drawing out if you prefer to work from a “hard” copy.