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WIP. Verdaccio started in oils.

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With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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You should be safe there, Paul: you said "one of the best" - the rest of us can flatter ourselves that you meant us, as well.  By the way - I don't disagree with you.  

Denise Cat

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The first glaze of skin tones are now down and it will only need another coat. I've also put a background in. This was a mix of Ultramarine and Yellow Ochre with white added.  Once I've glazed over the skin tones again, I will work on building up the colours and shadows in the clothes. Then it will be working on final details.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Just a quick point, Denise - I agree with you about stand oil being a bit sticky: I use it, not that I glaze often at the moment, because I have a liking for traditional media, and because insofar as it has a smell, it's one I can more readily tolerate than Liquin (some people don't even notice the smell of it, but unfortunately I do, and it gives me a headache - maybe purely neurotic on my part).  At my advanced age - Sylvia will point out that I am a mere child compared to her: I've always been grateful to Syl! - I avoid fresh sources of pain if I can: I know you have problems with pain yourself, and therefore you'll readily understand that. It can help if you let down the stand oil a little, with Turps or regular Linseed oil.  I say Turps rather than Low-Odour thinners/Sansodor because while it's not good for us, it does seem to be more compatible with oil.  There used to be a Rowney product named gel medium - going back a long way: I don't remember that being quite so pervasively pong-y, but maybe distance lends enchantment.  I wonder if it's still available, I must check.  
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Checked, and it isn't - there's a gel for acrylics, and a substance into which I did not bother to inquire further for use with water-miscible oils: of no interest to me.  So - stuck with Liquin or stand oil. 

Tessa Gwynne

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This is looking wonderful Denise. I love her face, hair and the shadows in the jacket in particular.

Christine Rogan

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Your painting is looking superb Denise. It’s very interesting watching how it’s progressed and learning how you’ve achieved it, especially to someone like myself who has never tried oils. Can’t wait to see it finished. 

Denise Cat

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That's a good tip Robert and I will try that with the stand oil. Luckily for me, my sense of smell isn't that great and I can't smell anything from the liquin. I use the artist's white spirit. I always have it on hand. I can smell that but I'm used to the odour now and make sure the room is well ventilated when working with oils. I've been working on the jacket today Tessa, it's coming along. Christine I am surprised to learn you have never tried oils. They really are a wonderful medium to work with. So very versatile. You know I didn't know anything about oil painting. Alan and Robert have always pointed me in the right direction and I've done some self learning and practice. I certainly didn't think I would be capable of doing the things that I'm doing now. I would encourage all to have a try with oils.

Denise Cat

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I found the jacket painstaking and challenging. I used Pyrrole Red, Burnt Umber, Ultramarine, Ochre, Cadmium Orange and Titanium White. As you can see I mixed quite a few transitional values. It takes many to make up a red jacket. I am further on than this. I have now started building up structure, form and colour with the trousers. I've finished the hair and short top. I haven't put the second glaze on the skin yet, I am saving that till last. I reckon there is probably about another 20 hours of work left to do so I'm looking to finish it next week.

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by Denise Cat

With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Very interesting use of colour - I'm impressed by pyrrole red, available under various names: it's a very interesting colour, not quite a scarlet, not quite an opaque crimson, containing pleasing aspects of both - but you've got to know how to use it of course, it's all very well praising the colour, it's the way it's employed that matters and you've employed it very effectively: it's brought warmth to your painting.  The jacket colour is gorgeous - it's given the whole painting a lift.   This has been (and still is) a marvellous study in just about everything - drawing, composition, use of colour.  Your underpainting work is really showing through and proving the value of this method of painting.  Few DO paint portraits like this these days, most go for direct painting - see the recent work of Jonathan Yeo - and have a tendency to call it "painterly", which I've long though a somewhat absurd word, though I've used it myself.  All too often, that approach leads to mud, and in any case it depends on getting the drawing done in the same process as layering paint: again, see Jonathan Yeo - because I don't think it always works...  Lots of controversy in this post if anyone feels like taking up the cudgels!  Not especially relevant to you, because you produce good work across the board - from Velazquez to Monet, in terms of technique..  
IMG_8857

Marjorie Firth

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Looking very vibrant Diane. She looks like a character from the musical “Hair”.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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She does indeed - in passing, my hero Groucho Marx didn't enjoy Hair: he said he didn't want to spend money on something he could see in the bathroom mirror every morning.   IS this a character from Hair, I wonder, or someone I ought to know about from other branches of entertainment .... being slightly past 50 years of age (ahem....) I wouldn't necessarily know.  

Denise Cat

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I agree Robert with regards to Pyrrole Red. I used Michael Harding No.230.  I think the colour gives vibrancy, yet not flashing in your face like a Cadmium and it's not quite a crimson. Its becoming a firm favourite of mine. I will take a look at Jonathan Yeo. Marjorie, I think you must be thinking of Marsha Hunt, it's not her although she does have a similar look about her. Talking about hair, when I finished off the hair today, I added a few touches and I'm happy that it has a look of an afro, I did wonder if I Would be able to achieve such a look with oils but I think I've been successful.
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