Glazing over

I'm coming up to the last little bit on the painting and finishing with a series of glazes. A glaze is transparent pigment mixed with a lot of clear oil medium that acts to give the painting the illusion that it is glowing from within. This is accomplished by creating thin, clear layers which allow light to bounce around in the paint and absorb more o the color. The effect wont translate with a photo, but trust me that it's there.

Itty, bitty, teeny, weeny...

Working with smaller and smaller brushes and making more minute color decisions. Spending literally ALL my time in the studio for the past week, only going home to shower. I'm aiming to have he painting completed for Friday, but may have to deliver on Monday, depending on when my install assistant doesn't work.

Smaller and smaller brushes

Coming down to the wire, and down to my smallest brushes. The camera on my iPod doesn't really capture he details, or the colors, but still....

Dividing and conquering

For the first time, I've broken up the panels. This allows me to work on them in more manageable chunks and to ensure that each segment is a strong painting on it's own.

Slow and steady....

I worked on the top and now beginning the bottom. Nothing much to really say, just plugging along and should have the painting finished this weekend. To use a house building metaphor: the house looks finished on the outside, but the walls, flooring and cabinets aren't finished.

Long week

I haven't updated in a couple of days, but I haven't been unproductive. I've moved down to using small brushes the thickness of my thumb, and in many cases even smaller as I continue to make smaller and smaller color choices. I'm using a old masters secret painting medium called meglip in order the layer colors on top of each other. The benefit of the meglip is that it's transparent so that the under layer of color still comes through. The result is colors that really can't be accurately shown or captured with photos as the light goes through the paint and bounces around he various layers; absorbing more color and giving the painting a rich, deep glow. It's resulting in a painting that looks as bright as my computer monitor! Unfortunately, my camera is unable to capture the subtle colors and blows out the contrast, but hopefully they bring the point across.

The most expensive pigment

I just went over most of the painting with a glaze of ultramarine blue and clear alkyd gel. Before the industrial revolution, ground up crystals of lapis lazuli were mixed with oil to create this exact color. The pigmented lapis lazuli was more rare and expensive than gold, and was the used as sparing as possible, and often not at all unless it was expressly requested and contracted by the patron. It wasnt until ultramarine blue was discovered accidentally as a residue in a lime kiln in 1814, with a process for it's production commercially becoming available 14 years later. Now, ultramarine blue is one of the cheapest pigments on the market, priced the same as black and white by most pigment manufacturers.

First layer Done

99% of the surface now has paint. Next I'm beginning the second layer which will add depth and overall cohesion to the work. I've just finished the first 2lb can of coffee, hopefully the second can will keep me chocked full o'Energy!

Slow and steady

After working on the larger areas and establishing the major color shapes, I've decided to change my plan of attack and work systematically from one end to another. The reason for this change is purely for pleasure rather than ease of painting; working on one color at a time, while easy to do on smaller painting, is rather banal on larger works.
I'm anticipating the completion of the first paint layer by the weekend, and begining the final layers and tweaks Monday. These tweaks are to address, breakup and visually combine the difference compositional elements as well as add subtle complexity when viewed close up. This process is the longest and will show very little progress from day to day; with most of the work visible only as detail shots. However, it is in these small color decisions which will take the work to the next level.