Practice & Post - Hands

[jenn_iam]

Oh wow... That's awesome Joe! I didn't notice at first, but just looked. you totally did! That's Rad!

[CarlOwen]

And step by step I move forward. This is step 8.

[jenn_iam]

OOohh.. really like that development around the thumb and mount of the moon... (sorry palmistry reference) but the soft padding in palm where thumb connects.

[Singular]

This sure is coming to life Carl. Looks great.

[CarlOwen]

Checking in. Thank you Jennifer. It pleases me that you enjoy looking at what I am doing. Thank you for throwing out the challenge and accepting my comments in return. As the conversation develops I am sure the palm will come in, then the fingers, etc. Although, I never know how that conversation will end.

Thank you Joe. My goal is to breath life into a painting, but in such a way that it is immediately seen as a painting worthy of its own existence. After my conversation with the painting comes to an end, so must the conversation itself. The painting must stand on its own. It must be able to live many life times traveling forward into a world where the original conversation is not only lost, it is not even considered. But, in order to obtain that goal, I must accept other's critiques and I must be the subject of my own harshest critiques and personal observations of my own work. This is such a hate/love activity.

Comments for those checking in. Challenge yourself to do work that will the last the test of time. Practice and produce. Share with us your work. Consider criticisms and grow. Hope to see some of your creations.

[CarlOwen]

Well, my conversation with the painting has now entered a discussion about relationships. It is about the relationship between the negative and positive spaces. The form dictates how much negative space is to be available. But how dark or light the negative space is, and where the exchanges occur, dictates the light/shade quality and intensity of the form. So it goes back and forth. Just love the challenges that make me grow.

[CarlOwen]

I believe the conversation with the background is finished. Now, back to work on the form. We all bounce about on a painting. If I had to go about routinely following a formula procedure to produce an object of beauty, I would go back to work and blindly do my duty. I do apologize to those who have to work for that statement. Could say much more, but it would only be digging myself deeper into the hole. Moving on. The problem I have created for myself here is how to balance the form with the background in order to make the painting unified. I want the viewer to see the whole thing, then focus on the elements within. I did not start out thinking about this. I started out with the intention to create a form, the hand, and had no thoughts about a painting as a whole. That is what developed as I pushed the form onto the canvas. Ideas started to form. Intentions changed. The possibility that this could be a real painting emerged. The more I pressed forward, the more the exercise became an excuse to produce a for real work of art. That thought process is what I call the conversation. Hope this helps others who are also engaged in their conversations.

[jenn_iam]

Carl.. I love your term "conversation" I could have an idea or an inspiration in my head to do something, but will go through pages and pages, sketching it, till I find the page that really 'wants' to have that image on it... I call it my dialogue with my canvas (so to speak) ... My roommate looks at me with a quicky expression of "what are you doing" when I go through this phase. It doesn't happen every time.. but often enough that I take note. I agree, artwork always has a relationship with its creator.. if it didn't, it wouldn't speak a piece of the artist out to the viewer long after it is done.

OK the painting... Carl, your background is rich and lovely... and you are really coming along with the form... the palm is turning out nicely... I think you can apply the same level or richness to your form and still have it stand out against your background by applying some washes or translucent highlights.. things often seen with oils in the masters works, that make the figure seemingly 'glow' or have 'radiance' about them... I am guessing you are using acrylics, which make this a bit more challenging as its set/drying time differs.. but I have faith you will Knock it out of the park!

[CarlOwen]

Thank you Jennifer for your actually understanding what I am saying. I think most artists do, but to many get confused not realizing the artist and the product are in reality the same thing. A Winslow Homer cannot produce a Jackson Pollock just as Picasso cannot produce a Frida. And, no it is not acrylics. I am now actually as old as I am old fashioned and I have found nothing that can stand up to oil on canvas. There is a certain vibrancy, a certain agelessness and a certain command of presence that no other medium can come close enough to be worthy of my time.

I am posting this update because I am brain dead with it for today. It would appear that about six hours of concentration is my limit these days. Thanks for the translucent idea.

[jenn_iam]

Oh Wonderful... the rich color said Oil.. but the commonality of art now-a-days is acrylic...
I have used both, but for rich colors and variant control of and ability to achieve true translucency or vivid opaque is more likely with oil.

Yea, those highlights are making it pop. Love the thumb still..

[CarlOwen]

Good evening Jennifer. Thank you. I have found acrylic painting serves the impatience of the artist, not the interests of the client. I have also learned that acrylic paintings collect a mold problem over time. Oil does not. I have not found any method that can make an acrylic look as lustrous as an oil painting. All that said, I recognize that oil is king. I did not make that condition. Maybe the fact that oil paintings can stick around for a few hundred years figures into it. Anyway I work only in oils. It just feels right. I have a few things left to do on this after it dries enough. So, going back to work on Selling Jewelry at the Governor's Palace. Will return to this one in about a week.

[CarlOwen]

It is finished.

[jenn_iam]

Ok, attempting again to get this .lol. The tablet is quite a challenge in itself. I will still go back and wirk on my model hands, but I did a quick one of my own hand as well, which iis hardly perfect, butprovided a different angle.

Vid file is too big, so have to link to my GoogleDrive for your viewing .. Hope it works.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B21wPW34W7P6M01obWlZWUg5NzQ/view?usp=sharing

I encourage others (if your looking) to try it too.... There's no right or wrong way to practice, only to get in the practice itself.

[CarlOwen]

Good afternoon Jennifer. Fun stuff watching your work of you working. Nice ending. I was reminded of Bell of the Beauty and the Beast by Disney when I saw the finished drawing. You are a small person are you not? I think somewhere in the 5 foot range plus or minus an inch.

[jenn_iam]

Yea.. 5ft is me. .

[CarlOwen]

Thank you for responding. I thought so. I used to be six feet tall, but time has worn me down to my current five feet eleven inches. I wonder why no one else has joined us? Maybe we are the ones with to much time on our hands.

[jenn_iam]

Ha.. don't know.. give it time. Folks can be shy Or feel they cannot, as this forum, thread is much different than any others. Its meant for all the share..Similar to the discussion forum, where all can participate in a given thread. But they may not realize it, and are not at a place where they are comfortable sharing their practice work. I know you, Carl, know this.. but I will share for others who may read this. Feel free to add...

I don't mind sharing, especially the practice work... as its just that... Practice.. its the best time to get the good tips, without feeling 'any way' about changing a 'soon to be' piece to make corrections on critiques.. The same level of feedback can be given, on the form of topic - and its OK to erase, make changes, show scribbles and corrections. the goal is to Learn, not make a masterpiece.. From the lesson, then we can make those great works...

[CarlOwen]

Thank you Jennifer. Yes I do know what you are saying. But, no one knows how large my scrap rate was in the beginning. Way to many sketch books hit the trash can. Did you know that after three to four reuses of a canvas that it is no longer any good and must be thrown away. It is to heavy and the new oils start picking up too many textures under the new painting. Absolutely destroys how light bounces around on the new painting. Oh yes, it sometimes cracks under its own weight. And far too many 90 lb. Arches papers were torn up and trashed. We all must do this in order to improve. And yes it is hard to develop skills in isolation. For me it does not work. I have learned so much on this website thanks to the other artists who post their work and critique mine. Hope to see other artists join in here.

[ehoeveler]

How exciting!! Are we still doing this subject?

[jenn_iam]

yes.. its non-stop!!! I encourage to keep it going!!