Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Painting with 6 glaze layers...next please

I seriously struggled with not knowing what the heck I was doing. My analysis of this one:
1. too much white used
2.underpainting needs to be stronger (I am glad I started with my least favorite underpainting)
3. I deviated from my color scheme. Where did that blue come from??????

ARGGGGGGHHHHHH!

My husband, bless his soul, said (to make me feel better)..." Maybe it's not your style."
Maybe I won't be a tonalist, but darn it, I am going to learn everything I can about it!

18 comments:

Jill Berry said...

Oh I like the texture on this a lot! The blue provides a nice cool contrast to the overall warm tone.

loriann signori said...

Jill, Maybe that's why my instincts told me to place it there. As I have been told by many who know me...
I get by,
by the seat of my pants...
just barely. :-)

Brent Seevers said...

Your blog heading says that these paintings are your vitamins. I'm guessing this painting was a hard vitamin to swallow. :p

I like the blue as well, I think it looks great.

loriann signori said...

Yep, Brent....this one went down like a ROCK! Drink some water and go on!

brian eppley said...

This is very nice. As I browse through my Edgar Payne book " composition of outdoor painting" I see his color studies in the final pages. I have always been excited by these and your works are right there! You're talents are immense and your latest studies, I'm sure, will prove so.

Jala Pfaff said...

It's your first one, be nicer to yourself! Plus, it's pretty cool. :) And I also like the blue! It's more you and less Deborah Paris.

susan hong-sammons said...

Hi Loriann, I think it's extremely beautiful and powerful. I'm not sure what it is you're not happy with. Is it the process you used?

Janelle Goodwin said...

Hi Loriann, I love this painting! Seriously, the glazes give such a sense of mystery. I'm struggling with this process too! In my brain, I think I get it. But when I try to apply what I know, something gets lost in the translation. I guess we just have to do lots and lots of these paintings to feel comfortable with this process.

Brian McGurgan said...

This painting has a really nice glow to it, Loriann, and the blue works nicely, I think. It's been fun to see your progression with the tonalist-style underpaintings, especially as I slog through my reading in one of the tougher chapters on Inness. We were in upstate New York this past weekend and I saw the lights from Olana as we drove over the Rip van Winkle bridge at night. Didn't have time to get there, though, but I did manage some time drawing outdoors in very, very cold weather. I don't know how you do it - after an hour and a half and with little to show for it I was heading back indoors.

loriann signori said...

Thank you Brian E, Susan, Jala, Janelle, and Brian M. Your encouraging words mean a lot to me as I stumble along this path. And yes the blue is me...no fighting it.

One question, do you pre-mix your colors are make them as you go along? Just wondering.

THANKS again! Loriann

brian eppley said...

I think you'll get a bunch of different methods on that question. I was taught early on to premix everything. This really helps with control however depending on canvas color, palette color and lighting everything might change when paint hits canvas. Then I started to mix and apply one color at a time. With plein air work I didn't lose as much paint when the light changed. Then I tried entirely mixing only on the canvas(Hawthorne-Hensche). Helps keep it loose. Now if light looks constant I premix about 1/2. I just have to get started! Good question-probably many many answers

loriann signori said...

Brian E.,
Thanks for your answer on pre-mixing vs on canvas. Long ago I was taught to mix on the canvas too...never to pre-mix. Now it seems to swing the other way where most people pre-mix. Hmmmmmm.With pastels it simply isn't as much of an issue. But still there are two camps of pre-select and just choose.
What are the colors of choice on your palette and which brands?

Jala Pfaff said...

Do you mean creating a color on a palette a few seconds before doing a brushstroke? I always do that. But I never create "pools" of colors before beginning a painting; don't know if that's what you meant. I never put two or three colors on my brush at the same time and let them MIX on the canvas with the brushstroke, though I'd like to experiment with that someday.

loriann signori said...

Yep Jala, that's exactly what I meant. I have never created pools of color either. Long ago I mixed on the canvas or on the palette, but just one at a time. In the technique I am learning now, glazing, it is encouraged to create all the colors before painting. I just can't seem to get myself to do that and I am delighted to know there is someone else out there that feels the same. I think I am way too impulsive/spontaneous. How about you?

Unknown said...

You are too hard on yourself! This is one of my favorites.
Gary Michael

loriann signori said...

Hi Gary, it's so good to hear from you. Thanks for your positive feedback. I think I was on a little rant because I was so frustrated....but I paint on.

Brenda Boylan said...

Pebbles could be considered rocks too! I really like this one. And I'm guessing the colors really are stirring me here...it's the mood that gets me on this one. Maybe kick yourself a tiny bit less and it will hurt less each time around?

I say nice one here.

loriann signori said...

Thanks Brenda.It's nice to know that others feel the emotion I tried to create. After that rant I decided not to kick myself any longer...it doesn't help.
I do like playing with the color on these. There are so many transparent earthy colors. I just ordered some transparent cobalt violet. It my favorite color...I can't wait to see what it can do!