Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Summer's Beginning 8" x 10" Oil/Panel
This little painting is a little different than any of the previous pieces that I have painted. It is only different in that I toned the gessoed panel with a lemon yellow stain. This is the first time that I can remember using something other than the usual reddish stain. It seemed a little strange at the start. The sketch , to my eyes, looked to be really 'contrasty' in comparison to previous starts on the more familiar red background.
For this painting , I used my usual limited palette, as mentioned in previous paintings. The initial sketch in this painting, I must add, was layed in using ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. I have recently read that using this combination rather than ultramarine blue and alizarin ( alizarin being less permanent) which is my habit, produces a sketch that when other colours are applied over it, produces a less "muddy" mix. Hmm, I am not so sure, ..yet. The jury is still out on that one.
Painting with the yellow stained background has been a good eye opener and fun exercise.
'til next..

7 comments:

rob ijbema said...

this is so full of energy and alive frankinteresting to read about the yellow underground,sounds like a good color for spring...
i'm still using orange/pink

Frank A. said...

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Rob.
Yup, the yellow was a bit of shocker at first. (contrast)
The orange pink works well for you, no doubt about it.

Have a great summer of painting.

Unknown said...

Hi Frank,
What a happy home and what a beautiful place you painted! Full of good vibrations and happy passionate colors. I feel now i know your Country a little better! Thank you

Unknown said...

Hi Frank,
me again sorry, i read the narrative just now. I really like your lemon yellow layer it add a lot of sparkle to the oil and he creates some great variation on the greeens like the zone in front of the house, and great varation on the foliage too. About mudding of colors! Whoumm! who cares, when it produces a great painting. I am satisfied ... very.

netty said...

This is a gorgeous painting frank!!!

Keith Tilley said...

The yellow ground seems to have worked well. As Rob says, it should be good for bright spring paintings.

I can't really see why an underpainting with Alizarin should produce muddy mixes.
I think I would use whichever you have in your palette for the rest of the painting.

Anonymous said...

Hello: Your paintings are very beautiful.
It has many colours and I feel peace when I see this.

I invite you te see my blog:
http://claudia-pintarunaaventura.blogspot.com/

Congratulations
Claudia from Argentina

You have a translator in my blog.