Sue Schirmer was very gracious to sit for her portrait during my oil painting demonstration at this year's San Juan County Fair. During the Fair, many artists demonstrate their craft, and it gives people a chance to witness the creative process in action. The first thing I like to do is draw the model. Drawing helps me get familar with the shapes, and helps me to really look at the model.
I started this painting in a traditional manner, using a monochromatic underpainting. I used Terra Rosa, a warm brown pigment,and thinner, turpenoid, to draw in the form. In the beginning, I was concentrating only on shapes, edges and values. The second phase of the painting was to spot in color. Developing color becomes so much easier once the shapes and values are well established. This method makes the final phase of the painting, so much easier and fun. During my upcoming workshop we will be plein air painting in this traditional manner, spliting out composition and values from color. Stay tuned to see the results of this weekend"s workshop.
