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Oranges In Rome
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Message
Posted
Today I started a tall oil painting of some orange trees that I saw in the grounds of the Villa Borghese, Rome in 2015. This is one of the biggest paintings I have ever attempted in oils. Pencil and blocking in done. I will leave it to dry for a couple of weeks before starting it in earnest. I am pretty excited about this as I am going back to Rome in a couple of weeks for a weekend visit. Any tips on dealing with a larger painting in oil will be greatly appreciated. I am hoping for a real thick impasto result a couple of months down the line. Thomas.
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Posted
I rarely paint anything this big - actually, what ARE the dimensions of your canvas? - so don't have much I can usefully say about process: I note you're planning to go for an impasto approach: that's going to take a lot of paint and patient building up, unless you're one of those who can lather the paint on with knives and make it look right from a distance. I'd tackle it in acrylic, not so sure I'd want to do it in oil. Still, usual things apply - you'll want to bring the painting together by working on all of it at the same time, rather than finishing off one bit and moving on to another: which might sound methodical but really is an invitation to bittiness; and you certainly won't be wanting to use small brushes, at least not at the outset: but I'm sure you know all that. It's going to be a while before we see the finished result, isn't it...?
By the way, the only reason I wouldn't want to tackle it in oil is the limitations imposed by my surroundings - if I had a really big studio, I'd happily go for it: but I'd get paint everywhere in the process: ensure you have plenty of elbow room (and if you're using Turps, you'll really need good ventilation, because you're likely to be using a lot of it).
Posted
I’ve painted some pretty big paintings over the years, at college in particular, but I don’t tackle anything above 4ft these days, and these are a problem to store.
So, dimensions please as Robert has already requested, your big may not be my big!
You’re tackling this in a totally different way to how I would start! I see that you have drawn it out very lightly in pencil, I would have started by using turpsy oil paint for my outline and painted on a neutral ground, rather than white… but that’s me, that’s how I do things.
You seem to be blocking in with a small brush, I see multiple strokes rather than large, confident brush work using bigger brushes.
Finally, you are cutting in this brush work around that central plant and pot in particular, leaving white edges rather than covering the whole canvas first as I previously mentioned and working on top of this ground, using multiple layers, always remembering the fat over lean rule.
Basically, it all looks a bit disjointed at present, that’s how I see it, and this isn’t a criticism of your work, but my observation.
Anyway, that’s how I would approach it, but carry on as you are doing now and let’s see how it progresses!
Edited
by Alan Bickley
Posted
A bit of progress made due to the blocking in being thin, it was just about dry enough to get away with it.
Now it really does need to dry for a few weeks before having another go at it.
This took about two and a half hours to do. It was very therapeutic.
I am looking forward to getting round to painting the little orange trees in the pots.
Posted
That's a really nice colour palette. I'm interested in seeing the painting develop. Some comments refer to the perils of using turpentine. I do paint with oils but use non toxic mediums. "Zest It" brand works well. It has citrus oil base which seems to make it perfectly fitting for your subject! It does have a lingering citrus scent.
Posted
IA good second stage… the blue compliments the terracotta pots nicely.
You might want to look at those green trees again, they could do with being a more bluish green in my opinion, very dark at the base, rather then the yellowish tones.
Needs scraping off and reworking… I’d get rid of the fence and lamp post also and drop them in last, when the trees are dry.
Keep posting, you’re doing fine!
Edited
by Alan Bickley