Category Archives: Oil Paintings

Portrait Workshop with Bill Schneider

I recently studied portrait painting with Bill Schneider. After he did a wonderful demo, Bill had us emulate Nicholai Fechin’s gorgeous ‘broken color’ style, by copying (on a larger scale, so we could practice our facial measuring skills) some Fechin portraits.

Fechin’s portrait (L) and my copy. oil on canvas.

First I copied one of Fechin’s beautiful women. And then this precious child.

Fechin's portrait (L) & MOW copy. oil on canvas.

Fechin’s portrait (L) & my copy. oil on canvas.

The next day we painted from a live model, attempting to apply the broken color method on our own. Quite a difference in beauty, eh? (Just keeping it real!)

Working toward Fechin’s ‘broken color’ in painting from life. oil on Arches oil paper.

I ended the weekend workshop with lots to practice and mull. Thanks, Bill!

Catching Up!! Studies a Plenty to Share

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Here’s another study (unfinished) that I did during that wonderful Maggie Siner workshop awhile back. Maggie wanted us to be very definite in matching colors and then put a big juicy stroke in the MIDDLE of the shape we were working on.

Dino, Pot & White Cat. Unfinished. Oil on Linen.

Terracotta Pot, White Cat & Dino on Pig-shaped Cutting Board. Unfinished. Oil on Linen.

Never put your first paint stroke next to an edge, she says, or you’ll be tempted to paint the object rather than the shape. Maggie gave us a wonderful motto to paint by: Great shapes, not great objects, make a good painting!

The Second Exercise of the Siner Workshop: a Three Value Study

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This exercise, much different from that showcased last time, reviewed key principles for a successful painting: make an interesting pattern of darks and lights — and join similar values wherever feasible. This painting may be a bit hard to suss out because many shapes were ‘lost’ in simplifying the scene into only three values. Notice how the highlight atop the left ‘spoon’ melts into the light background. And how the highlight on the short central spoon creates a strange form when linked by the mid-tone to the tall spoon handle immediately behind.

Spoons in a Pitcher + Mango + Spatula & Candle Holder. Oil.

The task here was to decide which of the many values in the still life set-up should be grouped into the limited value choices. Paint obvious ‘lightest lights’ with white and ‘darkest darks’ with raw umber. Then ask the trickier questions: where do all of those other values in the set-up belong — in the mid-tone gray or in one of the other options? Which grouping makes the stronger composition? Decide on your answers and paint the shapes accordingly, in smooth, flat value tones. No cake frosting this time!

Put on Your Dancing Shoes! Or Rather – Go Barefoot, Like the Girls ‘in’ My Painting.

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Here’s something colorful and fun — a painting I did awhile back, based on a photo I took at a meaningful and festive bat mitzvah last year. Remembering that happy occasion and the many dancing feet celebrating that evening puts a big smile on my face.

Our feet are happy now! Oil on canvas.

A perfect antidote to the winter blahs that crept in along with the rain, sleet and snow we’ve had yesterday and today, right?

Painting a Memory of Jeremiah’s Wedding

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Before Ingrid & Jeremiah’s wedding recedes into fond memories, I wanted to paint a tangible memento, based on a photo taken by my niece Tess (Jeremiah’s sister). Actually, a number of photos of the beautiful flower girls captured my artist’s fancy. Here’s the first one I tackled. Maybe there will be more.

Wedding Flowers. Oil on Paper.

Starting to Work on a Series of Abstract Paintings

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Apart from my iPad doodles, I haven’t done many abstract paintings. Here’s the first I’ve done in long time. I hope to make a series of variations on this theme. Like good abstracts should be (I’ve heard), this one is based on real world information. I’m not going to tell you (yet) the source of my inspiration. Any ideas??

Abstraction in Blues #1. Oil on Arches Oil Paper.

Painting a Study during Maud’s Portrait Class

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I made a quick portrait study yesterday during a class I’m taking with Maud Taber-Thomas. I hadn’t been able to attend for several weeks and was happy to be back.

Dozing Damsel. Oil on Arches Oil Paper.

During the first class, Maud had recommended as homework that we draw a series of skulls, each in a different position. I was tickled to have found online an inexpensive, life-size plastic model. I brought it in yesterday to show, along with the drawings I’d done. You can catch a glimpse of the skull herself in the last post, where she’s shown modeling for the painting.

Skull drawings. Charcoal. (Doesn't that one in the left middle look like Donald Duck?)

Skull drawings. Charcoal. (Doesn’t that one at middle left look like Donald Duck?)

Trying out New Arches Paper for Oil Painting on My New ‘Skulleton’

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Shall I nap or shall I paint?? Yesterday’s question. I’m so glad I decided to paint. My first foray into painting with oils on paper — a new paper specially formulated by Arches to stand up to oil paints, both thin and thick. Click here for a description of the new paper.

We Share Our Color Learnings

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Post-show doldrums are a great time to share insights from prior workshops. Several of us ‘7 Palettes’ have been sharing new color mixing techniques this week. Here’s what I passed along from the fabulous Terry Miura workshop my sister Ceci and I attended awhile back.

Here’s a glimpse of Terry’s palette:

Terry Miura’s Limited Palette

And here are insights about painting the figure using a limited earth-tone palette:

Select one of each ‘primary’ color, plus white: yellow ochre; transparent iron oxide red (‘earth red’ in some brands) , ivory black (standing in for blue) and Titanium white.
Using a palette knife, make two ‘puddles’ of paint consisting of a bit of each of the primary colors (in varying proportions, obviously): a light-toned puddle for use in painting light areas of the figure and a dark toned puddle for shadowed areas.
To add variety to the light and shadow areas of the painting, ‘push’ each puddle toward other colors and values by adding relatively more of desired dominant colors and less of the subordinated colors. For example, mix into part of the light puddle a bit more yellow ochre & some black to make a greenish variant.
Make sure that none of the darker values in the light puddle is as dark as the lightest light value in the dark puddle and vice versa. Imagine a line down your palette between the two puddles to keep them strictly separate.
Paint the light areas of the figure using only the light puddle and its variants; and paint the shadowed areas of the figure using only with the dark puddle and its variants.
Assuming you’ve drawn the figure fairly well, you’ve got a fine looking painting!

Here’s Terry’s beautiful twenty minute demo!

Terry’s nude.

Sneak Peak at Paintings I’m Hanging in the Weekend Exhibit

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Here’s a new painting I made in gouache a few weeks ago — thinking it would appeal to people who love the C & O Canal as much as Pat and I do. It’s based (loosely) on a photo I made last Fall on one of our walks. Pat can’t get much exercise when I’m constantly ‘braking’ to take shots like these!

I decided to hang mostly gouaches this time, with only singles of oil paintings and iPad giclees. (There will be many more matted & backed in the bins, though, along with lots of greeting cards printed with some of my favorite paintings.) Remember: Saturday & Sunday noon to 5, with reception from 6 to 8pm on Saturday. Yellow Barn Studio, at Glen Echo Park.

Now, here’s a look at the other pieces that will be framed and available to bring home at show’s end: