Last week I modified canvas 931 with the idea of adding some gold leaf details - kind of a warm up I can mess with a bit and remove if I don't like the results. I started a new 44x40 canvas 997 while it dries.
I used both brush and a palette knife - a knife to break up things up and a brush to hide the fact I did. Its a rather effective way of making cool looking edges. As you can see I have a composition using strong separation of light and shadow. I also sized my photo reference to the canvas size and divided it and the canvas up into 4 quarters. I want to maintain my proportions and this is an easy solution. Since I apply paint direct there is no drawing involved. The segments keep things in proper scale so all I do is apply paint (shapes and colours) until it feels right. Eventually as the area closes up the details are refined.
997-3 Untitled with Gold Leaf 44x40 oil on linen (11-5-15)
DETAILS
CANVAS 997
997-1 44X40 (11-3-15)
I used both brush and a palette knife - a knife to break up things up and a brush to hide the fact I did. Its a rather effective way of making cool looking edges. As you can see I have a composition using strong separation of light and shadow. I also sized my photo reference to the canvas size and divided it and the canvas up into 4 quarters. I want to maintain my proportions and this is an easy solution. Since I apply paint direct there is no drawing involved. The segments keep things in proper scale so all I do is apply paint (shapes and colours) until it feels right. Eventually as the area closes up the details are refined.
997-2 (11-3-15)
Now the light (sky reflection) is clearly established. A very stylized painting developed rather quickly. Really all that remains is refining details like deepening shadows and highlights, improving shapes and most important; do I add gold leaf?
If I do, only how and where has to be determined... This is where I wish I had 3 or 4 throw away canvases to play with - printed canvas comes to mind as a workable solution but I don't have that luxury at the moment. Don't lose that thought because its valid. So the old fashion way is the only way, do it and hope it works. The way I want to use gold is discreetly as a subtle controlled highlight......we'll see
MY SET UP
I decided to experiment and use a clear acrylic paste by Golden as my size, wet and straight from the jar. My gold leaf is standard metal leaf because I'm
not ready for the real stuff yet. With a
brush I dip in the paste, apply a dab to the area, then pick up a bit of
metal with it and work it to a textural shape like a nugget, highlights
and surface debris. Edges are real important here and it has to look
right as though it were meant to be....part of the oil.
FINISHED PAINTING
DETAILS
I wasn't totally happy with the Golden paste by itself. The golden paste did dry reasonably fast and I could tell where it was unlike size. However it required two operations with time in between to complete my thought - so I lost a bit of energy re-emerging my oil paint into the gold.
Nice experiment but I'm going back to just adding my gold on top of my wet oil and work it in and add more until it feels right. One operation, one move to complete my thought....which is how I work. Those were my most successful first attempts last year.
With that in mind I want to return to modified canvas 931, which is dry enough to precede with gold leaf details.
Nice experiment but I'm going back to just adding my gold on top of my wet oil and work it in and add more until it feels right. One operation, one move to complete my thought....which is how I work. Those were my most successful first attempts last year.
With that in mind I want to return to modified canvas 931, which is dry enough to precede with gold leaf details.
CANVAS 931 HISTORY
931 Incognito 62x48 oil on linen (10-13-14)
931 Koi added (11-2-15)
GOLD LEAF DETAILS
931-1 Gold leaf details (11-6-15)
Nature gave me a helping hand via my overhead skylight and dropped a few well placed afternoon sun beams on my canvas....only a fool would have ignored. This is the glow I was trying to capture in my painting in the first place.
Nature gave me a helping hand via my overhead skylight and dropped a few well placed afternoon sun beams on my canvas....only a fool would have ignored. This is the glow I was trying to capture in my painting in the first place.
WELL PLACED SUN BEAMS
As much as I like the effect I'll save it for another time
BACK TO IT WITHOUT NATURES HELP
931-2 Gold leaf details (11-7-15)
COMPLETED CANVAS
COMPLETED CANVAS
931Untitled with Gold leaf details (11-8-15)
All I need is a new title, a bit of vanish, and canvas 931 is ready to be introduced again. The modifications required (6) complete sessions and was well worth the extra time.
DETAILS
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