"Senior"

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"Senior"

8 x 6 in 

Ball Point Pen

I've always loved drawing it was my introduction into this crazy art world and always find refuge when I need to escape it all.  I especially love drawing in ball point pen rather than any other medium, there's something about its permanent quality that attracts me and motivates me to fully concentrate with every mark I make.    I saw this picture in a publication a while ago and was immediately drawing to the simplification of tones and beautiful textures in the skin.  Not really into politics to make this drawing a political statement, just wanted to try to render it the best that I can.  Needless to say this is not an alla prima drawing, it took more than a day to complete I actually did not jot down the specifics on how long it took, it did take me a while though.  I hope you enjoyed this one!  

Detail.  

"Black Grapes"

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"Black Grapes"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

These grapes were so much fun to paint, I've mentioned before that I love painting textures and these grapes and wooden board delivered.  I tried my best to get a great picture without the grain of the canvas coming through and this is the best I can do.  Normally you cannot see the grains when looking at the painting but the way the natural light was hitting the canvas the camera picked up more than usual.  I also mentioned in other posts that one my idols in painting is Norman Rockwell, I just love all his paintings.  The way he painted light and texture is purely amazing, over the weekend I was studying a lot of his paintings I just can't get enough.  I saw one of his books at this great book store and its huge!  I think I might buy the book the quality and reproductions are great, seeing the paintings with its texture is purely delicious.  I find that bigger the book the better the quality is and one is able to observe in an intimate level.  As you can tell my addiction to books is beyond help, I find they teach us so much if we observe properly to what the artist is communicating.  

This is the start of the painting as you can see I am working with natural light which I believe is the best way to paint from.

Picture of the finished painting next to the setup, thanks for stopping by and viewing!

"Lemon Plums"

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"Lemon Plums"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

These lemon plums caught my eye in the grocery store I could not get my eyes off of them.  They are unique looking to say the least and you know automatically I have to paint it.  I really like their colors and how orange their tips are.  Along with the colors I enjoy their textures, they are subtle but painting the smooth to rougher texture in one plane was a nice challenge.

I wanted to remind everyone that I am doing a painting demo this Thursday at Dick Blick in Edina, Minnesota from 10:45 to 2:00pm.  I hope to see you guys there! 

I started with the usual dry brush approach for the drawing stage.  Once the drawing is complete I stated the big form modeling with a very thin mixture on the brush, its a dry brush approach as well.  

I then just concentrate on the darker values with their specific forms.  Once thats completed I move onto the lighter forms and continue the same process.

I repeat the same process on the second lemon plum till its completed.    

Once the plums are complete I state the wooden base by applying a thin coat for the base.  Going back to the plums you can see that I start really thin with my mixture, this allows me to control my values from the brush touching the canvas.  Think of it as rendering with a pencil, once you put the pencil to the paper to get the subtle rendering you need to have a soft touch, same idea.  When I need the colors or values to be stronger and more opaque I'll go thicker with the paints, but I do so in a slow manner making sure the transitions are working within each other.  

Then I paint in the darker values with their specific forms and do the same with the lighter values.  

Once the wooden base is complete I start on the background, in this stage I make sure to take my time in polishing all the edges.  Thanks for stopping and viewing, hope you enjoyed!

"Italian Sundae"

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"Italian Sundae"

8 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to take a break from painting fruits and vegetables, figured this dessert was a good start.  I really enjoy passing the bakery isle in the grocery store it has so many goodies that are just great to look and eat at.  Out of the many times that i've passed it this time I could not walk away from this italian sundae.  From the presentation to the way the cherry just sits on top, almost like a bow sitting on a perfectly wrapped present.  To paint this dessert without eating it first was a challenge to say the least, temptation should of been the title to this painting.  

I started with the drawing stage by using a bit of raw umber on the brush and no mediums.  Once the drawing is complete I started with the cherry and cream part, I first painted the middle to darker values.  I start pretty thin at this stage to judge what type of texture I'm going for.  If it's a glossy look I want to put more paint on, if its a rougher feel I'm going for then I want minimal paint to start with.  Each section and area will have a different look and texture to them, the key is trying to figure it out with your brush.  

Then I painted in the lighter values and brought the area to a finish.  It's important to understand I don't move from an area until its completed, I put all my concentration to get it right in that stage so I don't have to go back.  I then move onto to the chocolate and cream area, first I lay in the middle to darker values.  Since this section is pretty soft in texture I want to start out with thin paints, I start out by laying my strokes very light in pressure almost like how one would draw with a pencil.  I like to slowly build to the texture and value I'm going for, I don't like to put the strong highlight or really deep dark first.  I prefer to gradually build the values first this allows me to control the transitions and textures.

Then I paint the darker darks and add more of the smaller form details.  After that stage is complete I paint the lighter values and bring this section to a finish.

 

I continue the process with the chocolate covered waffle top.  First just laying a thin application of paint to cover the areas I want it to be real thin and go a bit thicker where I want more contrast and focus.  Then I painted the darker darks with their specific forms, still being conscious of the pressure and amount of paint I'm using.  

I then brought this section to a finish by adding the lighter values.  For the bottom half of the waffle cone I repeated the process, this time I laid in a general color and did not go as thin as I was.  Since there's gonna be intricate lines I need a good base to paint on top of.  The paints I stated in this stage was to show how the light was moving across the form in a subtle way.

Then I added the middle to darker values with their specific forms, and did the same with the lighter values.  This area was tricky to paint because of the lines and how easy it can flatten the whole form if done wrong.  That's why I preferred to paint a base of the general color first so I can have the lines blending with the base in certain areas, it's easier to have it work with the overall form having the base there.

After that section was complete I stated the background and base, as you can see I added some of the chocolate chips on the base as well.  There's another topic I wanted to discuss with this painting that I was attentive from the beginning to end, it is "Edges".  Edges as I've mentioned before make or break your painting, from the outer edges of the subject or figure your painting to the edges within the brush strokes.  Having a soft and subtle edge from the beginning of laying the paints down can give me a soft look, I can then have a crispier edge in other areas which would create a great focus.  Experiment as much as you can with its properties and see how far you can push your paintings with it.  I hope you enjoyed this delicious dessert painting, thanks for stopping by and viewing.

"Blood Oranges II"

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"Blood Oranges II"

6 x 8 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

Today I wanted to paint these beautiful blood oranges again but this time with a red cloth.  As I've mentioned in previous posts I really enjoy trying to capture the texture of things, today was definitely one of those days were it tested my abilities to do so.  From the wrinkles of the cloth to the soft subtle tones in the oranges and to the grainy wooden board.  All of them unique in their own way but meshing well together.  I was also able to mix my older approach to my new one of course shifting things here and there, for the most part I was pleased the way they worked together.    

I started with the usual dry brush approach just using a bit of raw umber on the brush and no mediums.  Once the drawing was established I painted the background and the back section of the red cloth.  The colors I used for the background were ultramarine blue, titanium white and naples yellow.  For the red cloth I used naphthol red, cad. red, raw umber and ivory black.  When working in the cloth section I start by just laying in the values with their appropriate colors to match the hue.  I keep the transitions soft and make sure to not have any hard edges, this is my beginning layer and want to keep it as thin as possible.  

Then I start by adding the darker values and their specific forms, by doing this I start sculpting into the initial layer.  Once the darker forms are about complete I then paint in the lighter values with their specific forms.  By now I start to see the section coming to a completion, I start going back and forth from the darker values and pushing it to compliment the lighter values.  

Then I repeat the same process with the red cloth in the middle ground.

Once that section is complete I then move onto the first blood orange.  I start by painting the big form modeling in which the light is wrapping around the form.  Laying in a close approximation were each value scale should go with the right chroma to compliment it.  I also make sure to keep this stage of the painting thin, making sure the form is turning and it looks dimensional.  The colors I used for this section were cad.orange, cad.yellow pale hue, naphthol red, raw umber and ivory black. 

Once the big form modeling is complete I start to state middle to darker values with their specific forms.  When adding the smaller forms in this section I am able to use the initial layer that I stated in the big form modeling stage, this helps my blends go smoother and quicker it keeps a unified look.  It also allows me to go thicker and textured if desired to do so, it gives me the control i'm looking for within each section.  Once that section is about complete I start on the lighter values and highlights.  By the time I get to the end of this stage I am able to go back to the previous section,  I alter some values and chroma's that I didn't notice when the lighter values were not painted.

I repeat the same process with the second blood orange.

Once the blood oranges are complete I then start on the on the wooden board.  First painting the fall of light by keeping the values and colors generalized.  At this stage i'm not looking for details just a generalized information of the light and color.  I also make sure to keep this stage as thin as I can, doing so makes it easier to build layers and keep control.  The colors I used for this stage were raw umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, cad.orange, and ivory black.

Then I paint in the middle to darker values with their specific forms, I start narrowing in the smaller forms by adding its specific characteristic.  I do the same when adding the lighter values and highlights.  After this stage is complete I go back around and see if I need to push anything or if I've missed a certain part.  I go back into the background and grey it down a bit, I thought it was competing with the foreground for the most part.  Well this painting definitely was a longer one to explain with each of its intricate sections.  It was so much fun painting them and also being able to explain each section, thank you for stopping by and viewing.

"Blood Oranges"

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"Blood Oranges"

6 x 8 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

I have not painted blood oranges in a while and wanted to challenge myself by painting there subtle and hard textures.  I also was looking forward into painting the reds within the oranges, I think those two combination work well together.  My approach to this painting is different than what I've been doing lately, it's more of the way I painted when I first started doing these alla prima's.  It was nice to change it up and go back to my old approach, I still think it's great to paint in this way it allows you to concentrate in one section and take it to a finish before moving onto the next.  It's easy to just jump around and work on other areas which will just keep you going in circles, this approach allows you to just paint a certain section and not move until its complete.  Time to keep experimenting with my old and new technique, see what I can get from the two once their meshed together.  

I started with the usual dry brush approach using no mediums and a bit of raw umber on the brush.  Once the drawing was complete I stated the background my using ultramarine blue and titanium white.

Then I started by concentrating on one section at a time, normally I would do big form modeling at this stage.  I forced myself not to move from this section until it was completely done.  I started with a thin application of the areas that I was laying in first, slowly I build the thickness and opacity I'm looking for. Once the shadows are complete I move onto the middle to lighter values of the orange.  I'm being sensitive to the brush strokes and edges they create, I want to keep the transitions smooth and not get to thick in the beginning.  The colors I used in this section were cad.orange, naphthol red, cad.red, raw umber, and cad.yellow pale hue.

I then added the highlights to the orange and took it to a complete finish.  When adding the highlights or layers on top of the beginning layers you have to be soft to the touch, try not to pick up the paint that's already laid down, think of it as a build up of layers that's creating a three dimensional illusion.  The softer you apply pressure to the brush the more blend it will create and you also get better brush control.  Once the first orange is complete I move onto the second one, repeating the same process as I did with the first.

Once the second one is complete I move onto the darkest part of the base, I only concentrate in this section and take it to a finish before moving onto the next.  The colors I used were ivory black, raw umber, titanium white, ultramarine blue, and cad.orange.  

I then added the top of the base with its highlights as well, the colors I used in this section were ivory black, raw umber, titanium white and ultramarine blue.  When adding the lighter sections and even the cast shadows I had to be careful with the silhouette of the oranges.  Certain sections you have to just slow down and take your time, this section was definitely one of those instances.  This approach is more time consuming and really forces you to slow down with each section, its great in order to get into that painting mind set.  As mentioned in the opening paragraph i'm looking forward to see how I can mesh this approach with my current one, I'll definitely keep you posted.  Thanks for stopping by and viewing, hope you enjoyed this one.

"Red Apple"

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"Red Apple"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

This painting came up unexpected for me today, I was busy all day with meetings and running errands.  It was a pleasant surprise to get home and see if I can produce one very quickly.  I wanted to see if I can push my self to get details or smaller forms down in the painting with more clarity, I feel lately some of my paintings have gotten a bit blurry in that area.  In a sense its more of a therapeutic thing for me to do in order to feel right about the direction I'm going for.  After painting it I had the pleasure of eating this delicious apple, it's been a while since I've had apples almost forgot how good they are.  

"Assorted Apples"

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"Assorted Apples"

8 x 10 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

These apples I've been wanting to paint for a while in this arrangement, I've always been intrigued with the texture and subtle colors apples have.  Each of the apples have a subtle variation to its texture complimenting the rougher texture the wooden base has.  It's interesting applying the technique I did with the roses and rockwell study to this painting, of course it was't working right of the back but after a while it started coming together.  That's another thing I wanted to discuss on here about sticking it out till the end with you'r painting, no matter if its an alla prima or a longer still life painting.  In every painting that I do I always run into rough patches and think its not going to come out, but I keep going working hard until it finally does work.  Easier said than done but trust me if you push your self and not settle it will push you and your painting into that next level.  Thanks for stopping by hope you enjoyed!

"Rosas Bianco"

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"Rosas Bianco"

9 x 12 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

Over the weekend I did a study of a Norman Rockwell painting and learned so much from it.  I love doing copies because I always get something out of it.  Norman Rockwell is one of my idols, I love the way he paints texture on every subject he paints.  I also love the way he depicts stories in his paintings, he is known for being an illustrator to me though he is a fine artist as well as an illustrator.  I recommend to any painter out there that wants to keep learning and improving on their skills to copy a painting they really admire, you will gain so much out of it from the color choices to the brush strokes they used.  When I started painting this one today I thought it would of been a walk in the park, well I was in for a rude awakening.  White roses are extremely hard to paint due to their subtle colors, if you don't control the value and colors it can get really bad quickly.  I cannot tell you how many times I was just going to stop with this painting, especially after doing the copy I thought I was just going to easily get this one done.  Once I completely started to concentrate on the light and how to render its textures on the leaves and roses the painting started to come along.  When I was painting the leaves that's where I saw the light in the end of the tunnel, I started to remember what I learned from the Rockwell study and put those two together.  I'm glad I stuck it through I learned so much and really happy with the results.  I hope you guys enjoyed this one, thanks for stopping by and viewing.

Norman Rockwell copy.

"Green Heirloom"

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"Green Heirloom"

8 x 10 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

I always enjoy painting heirloom tomatoes for many reasons other than eating them afterwards.  The binding that happens from each layer is fascinating to me, there's also a subtlety of colors that you can see coming from the inside.  Painting subtle color variations from one layer to the next is challenging especially when painting heirloom tomatoes.  I also enjoyed painting this tomato because of the weather we had today, its been snowing all day with an occasional sunshine here and there.  I always jump on the opportunity to paint with natural light when given the chance and today was one of those days.  Observing this heirloom tomato and its subtle colors was easier to do with soft lighting, and as mentioned before eating them afterwards is a bigger reward for painting them all day.  

"Lemon Peeled"

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"Lemon Peeled"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

This one was a very quick painting for me, I started later than I wanted to but I'm glad I was able to finish it.  I wanted to play around with lemons and how their peels wrap around the form.  I kept the inside of the lemon concealed to add more mystery to the peel.  I've been painting lemons for a while now and wanted a different approach for this one.  Thanks for stopping by!

"Strawberries Marching"

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"Strawberries Marching"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

This is the last of the series of strawberry paintings, I had a lot of fun playing with their arrangements and seeing how far I can push it.  Their intense colors is also another reason why I wanted to continue painting them, their reds are just so strong and when you add details on top of that it just changes the dynamic of the chroma's.  Strawberries are tricky to paint because of their textures they have an alignment with their dots that can get confusing from one to the other, each of them have their subtle differences.  The best part of the whole experience is being able to eat them afterwards, when you add chocolate to the mix then its just icing on the cake.  

 I am doing a demo at Dick Blick in Edina, MN on February 9, I was going to do it from 12-3p.m. but due to prior engagements I have to change the time from 11-2 or 10:30- 2p.m.    

  

You can still sign up for "Pink Roses" alla prima lesson, check out the trailer above.

"Strawberries Aligned"

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"Strawberries Aligned"

5 x 7 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to continue with the play of composition with these strawberries, I enjoy painting their deep reds and even more eating them.  It's fun playing around with subject you paint and try to compose them differently each time, you never know what you'll end up with unless you just try.  The weather finally came around it started to drop as of yesterday to the teens, I have to admit I do miss the 50 degrees we had a couple days ago.  It is nice though to stay indoors and paint when its this cold, hopefully we won't see negative 40 degrees any time soon it truly is unbearable.

I wanted to let everyone know that lives in Minneapolis I'll be giving a live painting demo at the Dick Blick in Edina on Feb. 9th from 12-3 pm.  Come out and heckle me would love to meet you guys.

I also found out my oil painting class at the Bloomington Art Center will be on for this session, I'm extremely excited to teach it along with figure drawing and see the talent that comes out of there.  You guys can still sign up here's the link.

Sign up for "Pink Roses"Alla Prima online lesson, check out the trailer above.

I started with the usual dry brush approach using a bit of raw umber on the brush and no mediums.  After the drawing is complete I laid in a general color for the strawberries and also stated the background.  I usually do not use any mediums with these smaller alla prima's, i've gotten used to not using any and just using the paints straight out of the tube.

Then I stated the darker values and their specific forms and did the same with the lighter values and highlights.

After the strawberries were complete I then started on the leaves and started with a general color for the drawing in stage.  In this stage I am just drawing in the shapes and trying to place them in the right areas.  Once the shapes are correct I then state the darker values and their specific forms.

Then I state the lighter values and their specific forms.  Once the strawberries are completed I then move onto the base and add the general colors with some details already filled in.

I then go back and add the finishing touches on the strawberries and base, doing this brings the whole painting to a finish.  I noticed with this painting I did not apply my usual big and small form modeling and could see the difference.  It's something that is really important with my paintings and can tell right away if I forgot to implement it.  I do like the results though and still kept in mind on how the form turns with the light.  There is a difference though when you go through the process and actually do it step by step rather than jumping ahead and putting in all the information at once.  I hope you guys enjoyed this one, thanks for stopping by.  

"Three Strawberries"

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"Three Strawberries"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

The weather here in Minneapolis is crazy today it hit 50 degrees, I cannot believe that its fifty degrees in the middle of January it's usually five below at this time of year.  It's pretty hard to stay indoors and paint when it's so nice outside but I must paint and get back to the easel vacation time is over.  I haven't painted strawberries in a while I miss painting their unique textures and beautiful colors.  I wanted to arrange them with this silver serving cup, I've used this cup in several of my paintings and like the reflections it creates.  It was fun arranging this composition and getting back to the grind of making these alla prima's.

I started with the usual dry brush approach for the drawing stage, once the drawing stage is complete I stated the background by using ultramarine blue, naples yellow and titanium white.

After the background is complete I start on the three strawberries at the same time by stating the general colors.  After the general colors are stated I start stating the darker values and their specific forms.

Then I stated the lighter values and highlights, I work on all the strawberries at the same time to keep the quality the same.  Once the strawberries are complete I start on the green leafs on the strawberries by first stating the general colors, then laying down the darker values and after putting the lighter values

Then I start on the silver cup by laying in the general colors, I like to keep this stage abstract and also keeping the edges soft.  Then I state the lighter values and start bringing the two sections to a finish.  

Then I move onto the base and first state the general colors, at this stage I have already starting to indicate the darker and lighter values.  Then I state the darker darks and bring the painting to a finish.