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Portrait of Mischa
May 12, 2013
Mischa, oil on linen 20"x20" This is my latest portrait. I did eleven thumbnail sketches to try different gradations in the background as well as a full-size value study. The preliminary work showed me the importance of the highlight on her nose and the shadow cast by her ear so I decide...
First Plein Air of the Year
Apr 23, 2013
This is my first plein air of the 2013 season. I actually painted this over several days (it's my own back yard, so visiting the location multiple times isn't a problem). I first made a preliminary sketch then I used it to help develop a more interesting composition and better color selection....
Sketch of Jake
Jan 27, 2013
A 14x18 sketch in oil of Jake. I did this alla prima (painted in one session) with a little reworking the next day. My intention was to keep the brush work as fresh as possible, but naturally I ended up scraping the paint all over with a palette knife....
Starting a new painting
Nov 21, 2012
The start of a new painting. 24x30 in oil on Claessens #12DP. I've outlined the horse in Conte crayon so that I can play around with the design and get the drawing down very accurately before putting paint on the canvas. I've erased most of the lines I used to place the crit...
The illusion of value in the shadows vs the lit areas
Nov 14, 2012
In this famous illusion that I've taken from Wikipedia, the value (that is, the darkness) of area A is exactly the same as the value of area B. This is really hard to see, even if you squint for all you're worth. Bear this in mind when painting lighter areas in the shadows - they are never as ...