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Monday, January 25, 2010

"In the Spotlight" - 6x6"






















More fun with backlit citrus fruit! In addition to working on translucence in this piece, I was also very focused on edgework, my current and ongoing "Mt. Everest". So easy to get stiff and tight, so hard to keep it loose and trust. A technique I have learned is to paint beyond your shape (ie: carry the orange segment brushstroke into the background) and then paint the background back up to it to sculpt it back in. Where the edges overlap, paint gets blended and naturally creates a soft edge. Sounds easy, as long as you are willing to totally lose your drawing and trust you will get it right again. :)

Probably the greatest beauty of these little 6x6's is they give you more freedom to play with ideas like this, as long as you can remind yourself to go in with the idea that they are exercise, and be willing to push outside your comfort zone and try new approaches.

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5 comments:

  1. They look like they are glowing! Great advice on losing the edges and then getting them back again. It is very effective and you do it so well.

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  2. Fantastic, you can see it was really fun, because the painting is the color that it transmits.
    From an admirer of Portugal.

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  3. These absolutely glow. Wonderful little painting! I like the way you've worked some of the orange into that beautiful background color.

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