Sketching the Live Model in Oil

As you know I work from the live model at least once a week when our figure drawing group meets in my studio.  Most of the time I work with pastel (Nupastels are my favorite) or watercolor.  Lately I have been using my oil paints more and more to work from the live model.

A couple of weeks ago I painted this 11" x 14" panel in oil, about 80 minutes of painting time.

One of two paintings I did that evening, the other was a study in watercolor.  I especially like the stool she is sitting on - I didn't fully paint all four legs, a couple are only implied, but work very well.

This past Wednesday we had another wonderful model, and I chose to create two more oil sketches from the longer poses (about 50 minutes to work on each) These are 6" x 12" textured panels.

I like the horizontal pose, the way she fits into the space, her pressure on her elbow, the subtle indication of the knee under her leg.

I only did a little work on it the next day, filling in the rest of her leg.  When I do work on these paintings the following day, I have to find that balance between defining shapes and keeping the loose, immediate quality of working right from the live model.

I also worked on the vertical pose, filling in the background the emphasize the sheer white drapery.

I was tempted to "fix" her hand - define the shape and the fingers, but restrained myself!  It would have eliminated the "abreviation" I used the night before - the quick stroke of dark skin tone on the back of her hand and the quick dab of yellow to show the light on her fingertips.  Sometimes less is best!

Angel Painting - how do they look?

The second angel painting is coming along! I still have to work on her face, and the leg is feeling a little large compared to her torso/arm, so I will play with that a bit more. I also want to work on the value range - while the black shadows do "pop" right not, I feel like there could be more variety within the shadows - lighten them up a bit.

Up until now, I haven't been looking at both of the paintings together. I didn't want to try and "copy" what I did in the first painting - just let the second angel happen on it's own. But I want to make sure they work well together as a series, so I put them side-by-side to see what could be done to accomplish that. One thing I've noticed - I like the angel wings in the painting on the right - they feel like they are developed to the same level as the body/folds, where the angel wings in the painting on the left feel different. I think I will go back and define the angel wings a little bit more.

The angel on the left is entitled Hope - and this quote sums up the feel of the piece

“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them.”

Louisa May Alcott.

I think the 2nd angel will be titled "Compassion" - any ideas for a good quote to go with it?

Angels everywhere! New paintings in watercolor and acrylic

Truth first - I'm not a big "angel" person. I don't have angel figurines, I never put the little feathered angel wings on my babies and had there pictures taken, I don't have a poster of the little cherubs by Leonardo hanging in my bathroom. But because of the sculptures I fell in love with in Rome, and a theme show we have coming up in November, Angels have been my subject of choice lately! And I am really enjoying it. Last night our figure drawing group was lucky to have a lovely model pose and as angel for us! She ordered those gorgeous wings from Australia (bless her heart!) and found that divine, flowing dress in an antique shop. I told her those were a great investment - I have a feeling she'll be posing as an angel again!

I was working with watercolor pencils on watercolor paper mounted to foam core. I started with light purple and blue, and slowly added in more warm colors. As you can see above - there is a sticky note on my painting - I kept playing with her face and ignoring all the drapery! So I covered the face until I caught up with the whole figure.

We will be continuing this pose for at least the first half of our group next week, so in the interim I want to build up my background and work on the drapery, so when we are in front of the model again I can focus on her face and figure.

And I've got a start on my second angel sculpture painting this morning! I wish I had a picture from yesterday - my 4 yr old was in the studio with me, so I put him to work priming the masonite board. I mixed up the paint, and he decided to use 2 brushes - one very small brush, and one 2 inch brush. He scooped the paint with the small brush, spread it on the big brush, and then painted the board. It was so funny. And it kept him busy. What's great is that he's not as smooth as I am when it comes to applying the gesso - so he actually helped me create a great surface to work on - lots of texture! It's going to look great when I start sanding and glazing - all the ridges in the gesso will create wonderful patterns and textures! Thanks Jack!

Angel Painting - a progress report

I have been working on this painting for a few days now. It is based on one of the photos I took in Rome of the Angel sculptures on St. Angelo bridge. I had this large piece of Masonite, which I think has been two or three other paintings prior to this layer! I started by applying another layer of paint to hide the previous (disaster) painting and then started to block in the angel's form.

As I got towards the bottom of the figure, I realized the head and hands were too large and went back to adjust the scale. The movement of the drapery and the angles of the legs are very important, so those have been re-worked many times with layers of acrylic and glazes of color.

This photo of the angel painting is a little light, but shows how I am starting to build the folds of the drapery and catch the light and shadow. As I add layers, I also take away - each time I go back to my easel, after the paint has dried, I used sandpaper to soften any hard edges and reveal a bit of the underpainting. I want there to be an interesting history to the surface of the painting.

I haven't decided if the background should be light, dark or medium...I am definitely open to suggestions and feedback!

My Italy Sketchbook Day 9 (our last day!) Exploring Rome

Our last day in Italy...what a wonderful experience we had exploring this beautiful place. It seems like it was a long trip, but also over in the blink of an eye! On our last full day in Rome, which was a Sunday, we had another early start to the day - our walking tour of Rome picked us up at the hotel at 7:am. This was...well, tough to say the least. We had already spent 8 days doing a LOT of walking, and this was going to be the 3rd of 4 days in a row waking before 6:30 AM. SO - a bit of advice if you are planning a long trip - be sure that you allow yourself one day to relax towards the end, to enjoy sleeping in one more time, to enjoy each other's company and not be at the mercy of a tour guide, and really finish off your vacation ON vacation - not on a schedule!
That being said...after another brief stop at Vatican square, our tour's next stop was a large square with a wonderful fountain, the Piazza Navona. And by the way - the pattern was holding true - our tour guide had already left one couple behind!
And while I was taking pictures of the fountain, the tour guide was already walking away! David had to rush over and grab me, saying "c'mon! we're leaving!" and we had JUST got there!

So anyway...a bit more walking and we arrived at the Pantheon. I was really looking forward to seeing the inside - the size and the shape of the dome are almost impossible to capture in a photograph. But, in keeping in tune with our luck of the day, the Pantheon was not open to visitors because of a Sunday service. Hmm. Not happy about that!

But it was quite impressive, and the scale of the outside is quite large. (Of course I'm adding this to list of reasons I need to return to Italy...)

So our tour guide, not counting heads or warning us of his plans, was walking away again. Did I mention - he was a little old man in a a suit with an umbrella for a cane, who talked with his eyes closed, as if in some trance. When I realized he was leaving many of us behind, I said to David "Do you think he knows that he's leaving part of the tour behind?" To which my dear hubby replied "I don't think he knows he's ON a tour!" At least he made me chuckle :)

At least the old guy knew where he was going! Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain. Unfortunately (or, in keeping with the luck of the day) it had started to drizzle by this point, and umbrellas were brought out and walking was not as pleasant. I would have loved to sit a draw a while at the fountain - which is HUGE and kind of tucked in-between a bunch of buildings - but with the rain and the tour pushing us onward, I didn't get a chance. However - I did throw 3 coins in the fountain, assuring that 1) I would return to Rome and 2) That I was going to spend the rest of the day humming "Three Coins In The Fountain".

Next stop was the Spanish Steps, and as you can see many umbrellas were appearing, the rain was becoming annoying, and our tour guide decided he needed a nap so he stopped the tour about an hour early! David and I decided this was a good time to break for lunch and wait for the rain to pass. (By the way...unless you have a really hard time navigating, I don't suggest a walking tour of Rome - it is all very easy to find - you can do it!)

This was one of my favorite meals, at the Caffe' Leonardo, which was only about a block from the Spanish Steps. I had a delicious panini with turkey and avocado, then treated myself to a yummy desert and a cup of cappuccino. Much to my husband's embarrassment, the camera came out and I took a picture of my pretty food! I kept one of those delightful little heart-shaped sugar pouches :) Our day was looking up! And the sun returned, so we continued exploring on our own.

As we approached the Colosseum, we passed many archaeological sites. I took a bunch of pictures, but it turns out - if you've seen one pile of pillars, you've seen them all! So here is a token photo of some ruins.

Our first glance of the Colosseum as we walked the Via dei Fori Imperiali.A bit of street-side entertainment on our walk. I thought it was cool that I captured this dancer mid-air.

A few shots up-close. We did not go inside, there were very long lines, and our early wake-up call was catching up to us, but we did see quite a bit just by exploring from the outside.

We actually have a post-card of the Colosseum on our fridge, and the first time my son saw it he said "oh my gosh! A monster ate that building!" When I tried to explain what really happened, he shot down my story and his 4 yr old brain came up with a whole saga of a monster attacking the building from outer space. It was a good theory!

Walking back to our hotel, we crossed the Fiume Tevere by way of the Isola Tiberina. And by then, we were ready for a cab ride back to our hotel.

Let me tell you - Cab drivers are CRAZY! This guy never went less than 50 MPH, even if he could only go 2 blocks between stoplights! At one point, he cut THRU St. Peter's square, still driving like a maniac, practically plowing into a NUN! Can you imagine?!?! I bet that it's a one-way ticket to the basement if you run over a Nun IN St. Peter's square!

So...made it back to the hotel, and a quick power-nap later, I was determined to do at least one more drawing on our last day in Italy. So I ventured out alone, leaving David to siesta, and found this fountain only a few blocks from our hotel. The light was great, creating a lot of drama on the beautiful female figures.

My first sketch....

And then I started sketching from another POV, but the clouds rolled back in and I lost my light. Perhaps, one day, I shall finish this drawing, too!

Ah. Deep breath. So that is about it for my Italy re-cap! The next morning we were on a (early!) departure from Rome back to Atlanta. Thank you again for letting me share my trip with you :)

My Italy Sketchbook Day 8. Touring the Vatican.

On our first full day in Rome we were signed up for a tour of the Vatican Museum, including the Sistine Chapel and inside of St. Peter's. I highly recommend taking a tour if you want to see the Sistine Chapel - the lines were VERY, very long! Even though our tour was early (we were picked up at 7:am) it was well worth it. This is the entrance to the Vatican Museum.
Our first stop was the Courtyard of the Pine Cone, so named for the fountain at one end.
There is also a contemporary sculpture, Sphere within Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro.Our tour guide used the opportunity in the courtyard to speak a bit about the Sistine Chapel, of course one of the main reasons for touring the Vatican Museum. Tour Guides, as well as all guests, are asked not to speak inside the Sistine Chapel. So once we had a little background, we ventured inside. The museums were really one long room after another, filled with a variety of sculptures, tapestries and paintings. The lighting made it difficult on my camera (or the batteries were dying...hard to say) but luckily David bought a very nice guidebook so we could remember what we saw. Every room had an incredible ceiling, some more elaborate than others, but all very impressive. I loved the light from the window falling accross this sculpture.And then, almost without warning, we were upon the Sistine Chapel. The room was actually smaller than I imagined, and rather dark. It was very crowded, with wall to wall tourists and many guards. Photographs are not permitted...but I had to break the rules. It was like I had to take one shot just to be sure I wasn't dreaming!
Of course it's out of focus because I was trying to hide the camera down at my waistline as I shot the renegade photo!

But what an experience. The ceiling is beyond belief, really. The colors practically glow in the drapery. The figures seem to be alive. The positions and poses are not just impressive in themselves, but the fact that Michelangelo painted them on a ceiling, as if they were tumbling out towards the viewers down below, makes them beyond comprehension. The sibyls holding books looked as if they would step right out of the ceiling and begin to tell their stories. I wish I could have sat and stared all day (the only drawback to being on the tour...had to move on with the group!)

What struck me as well was that although there were many other impressive ceilings and frescoes, they all paled in comparison once you saw the Sistine Chapel. The same thing struck me later on as we went into St. Peter's - once you see the Pieta by Michelangelo, all other sculptures, while beautiful, seem to pale in comparison.

The spiral staircase built in 1932 that exits the museums.
Although we managed to see quite a bit of the collection, there were numerous rooms that we did not get into - I was most disappointed that we did not get into the Raphael Rooms, which included his "School of Athens", a piece I really wanted to see in person. Also, somewhere in the Vatican, is the Laocoon group (which I thought was at the Uffizi Gallery, but I guess I was wrong!) which I would have been thrilled to see in person. Oh well...onward! Or so we thought...

Our tour was supposed to go into St. Peter's, but the Pope was holding a ceremony and we could not get in! So our tour guide encouraged us to come back in the afternoon, which David and I did. Although - here is one important thing to note - I decided to change from pants to a skirt. This was not a wise move!

Me in the infamous skirt sitting on one of the fountains.

We waited in the large (but moving) line to get into the Church for about 15 minutes, then went thru the security checkpoint.
From security we continued towards the entrance, where we passed by the Bronze Door where we saw a Swiss Guard in full uniform. Inching closer towards the church...in the shadow of the sculpture....

SO close! So close! Almost to the steps! And here's where it I got turned away. In my skirt. That was deemed too short by the final security checkpoint. 25 minutes it took us to get this close and we got turned away. No amount of belly-aching and no fancy wrapping of my sweater in an attempt to hide my (pagan!) legs would sway the guard, so we turned away. I looked at David, partly angry with myself and partly infuriated that they couldn't tell me at the BEGINNING of the line that my skirt was too short, and said "Should I go change?" and he, so kindly and patiently, said "yes" and we walked back to our hotel, I got changed back into my long pants, and we walked back to the Church. Where, we waited about 30 minutes again, and FINALLY got in!

And of course, seeing the Pieta in person made it all worth while. Even behind bullet-proof glass it was breathtaking.
What is hard to impress upon you with photos is the massive size of St. Peter's inside. You feel like Jack in the Giant's castle after climbing up the beanstalk. It's huge! I don't know what this sculpture is all about...but I like it! The light was gorgeous at this time in the late afternoon.

Most of the sculptures I would guess to be 4 or five times life-size.

The Baldachin, by Bernini. At the time, there was a barricade set up and we could not venture further into the Altar section.

A shot of the light streaming into the cupola designed by Michelangelo.

A few shots of the interior.

Another dome, another gorgeous ceiling!

Looking up at one of the massive sculpture groupings.

At one point a beam of light was hitting this adorable puti high up on a column, but I couldn't hold my camera steady enough and zoom in to get a good picture...here is a far away shot.

One more shot looking up at the amazing ceiling - those sculptures are enormous! How they made them, and then got them UP there, is beyond me! I couldn't imagine the work that went into this amazing space.

And as we left the Basilica, we got one more shot of the Swiss guard in full uniform. You can see they are on high alert for short skirts.