Blog

A casual photo of my husband enjoying his coffee at a local diner inspired Morning Mike. The unusual and challenging composition appealed to me, as I'm always pushing myself to go beyond my usual portraits.

Today I'd like to take you through my process in creating this piece.

August 12, 2021.

As always, I used a black and white reference photo, freeing me up to be creative with my color choices. After transferring the image to a prepared sheet of Arches 300 lb hot press paper, I used pushpins to secure the paper to a lightweight wooden board.*

With my size 16 Kolinsky sable round brush, I mixed up a few very watery puddles of Quinacridone Coral, Quinacridone Gold, and Peacock Blue. Working upright on an easel, I began with the areas of flesh, alternating these three colors and popping in a bit of Hooker's Green here and there. This base layer will provide interest and variety in the successive layers of flesh tones.

I like to establish the features right away using a slightly smaller brush: my size 12 Kolinsky sable round. (I'll use these two brushes for the entire painting, along with a size 8 Kolinsky sable for essential  details.)

I stop for the day. 

August 15, 2021.

My process requires many layers. I spend no more than an hour at a time on any one painting, which prevents me from overworking the piece, as well as allowing plenty of time to assess my progress and think about how I will proceed.

The above image reflects a couple more sittings: I gradually add foundational color and slowly build up the flesh tones. The random pops of color here and there are used to begin to establish important edges.

September 20, 2021.

I've begun to add elements to the background with positive and negative painting, allowing drips and blooms to remain for texture and interest. I force myself to start working on that plaid shirt.

January 5, 2022.

I decided on a red hat for the man in the booth behind Mike. I wasn't sure if it would be too strong a color choice, but ultimately decided that its location near the focal point would be an asset rather than a distraction.

February 11, 2022.

With each successive layer, I continued to build up the values, cooling the background and keeping the flesh tones warm. 

The further I get on a painting, the longer the assessment and thinking times become. At this stage the painting may sit untouched for a week or more before I decide how to proceed.

You can view the completed painting of Morning Mike at the top of the page!

Paint. Love. Repeat.

*Supply list for portraits