Thursday, May 8, 2008

Surprise Underpainting

So yesterday I sat down to do a landscape (sans structures) and ended up doing this:

For reference, I used a photograph that I had taken of one of the other residents last February at the Vermont Studio Center. I have a stack of photo portraits that I took there sitting next to my easel and look at them longingly each day. Finally those feelings overtook me I guess. I will have to start another landscape though, still need a few more for the upcoming show.

But in the meantime, I had a great time with this and am exceedingly pleased with how it turned out. I added more detail in the face than I plan to portray when I get to the color, as it's easier to take away the specifics later rather than adding them, and while I didn't really intend to capture the likeness, it actually does look like Carole.

When I was finished, Doug came in and said it was awesome and that I should leave it alone-not add color. I quibbled with him, because adding color was my intent from the beginning. He relented and said maybe I should add color to the background and leave the rest. I like that idea, leaving it sort of unfinished and I am considering it, but I would have handled the underpainting totally different if I had planned to leave most of it intact. I suspect that I won't be able to stop myself from adding color, just like I couldn't stop myself from painting this image in the first place.

I'll let you know what happens. It is entirely possible that I will report back in a few days with a complete failure. At least I took a picture of it at this point because then I'll know that it did look good once anyway. Heh.

Also, it was great to do this on a larger scale as I could easily rub out the lights with my cloth technique. Here are a few close ups:


11 comments:

Stacey Peterson said...

Ooh - love this!! Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Melody said...

Love this......can't wait to see the finished piece

Katherine Kean said...

It is awesome!

Susan Carlin said...

What a great start! I love the viewer's point of view on this painting... lends a sense of stature and solidity to your subject. Will keep watching...

Natalya Khorover Aikens said...

wow...

indiaartist said...

Wow! What is the size? I will keep tuned.

Chris Rywalt said...

Oh, baby, show us your underpaintings!

Tracy Helgeson said...

Thanks everyone for the good feedback! The panel is 24x36-pretty big for me anyway, let alone doing a figure this size. Good grief, what was I thinking? Well, like I said it may be all downhill from here, but sometimes it's all about process right?!

gary rith said...

holy carp, you're something!

Martha Marshall said...

I love it as is! No pressure or anything.

Anonymous said...

You are such an honest, true artist, Tracy. Good for you! This is amazing as an underpainting. I am waiting to see what you do next.