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Image for Rhodri Morgan painting complete

Jan
18
Image used for painting of Rhodri Morgan

Image used for painting of Rhodri Morgan

Photoshop "sketch" for painting of Rhodri Morgan

Photoshop "sketch" for painting of Rhodri Morgan

Painters used to rely on sketches and studies to settle problems presented by colour, composition, form, scale, etc. before attempting to start their final versions. Fourteen painted panels and ten drawings exist documenting the evolution of Seurat’s Une Baignade, Asnieres. Me? I use Photoshop. Job done.

The image on the left above is what I began with and the one of the right is what I ended with, many hours and Photoshop layers later, and what my final painting should look like. I found the image on Flickr after his office said no for a photo op. I really got lucky, it’ a fantastic image, just needed a lot of work to get it ready. The image in the background is a Kyffin Williams painting, who is without a doubt, Wales’s greatest ever painter.

The painting is for the Welsh Assembly Government’s internal art competition. The winners get… the honour of having their work displayed in government offices across Wales. Fine by me!

Current painting on hold for one of Rhodri Morgan

Jan
16

My current painting of Kit is going on hold so I can do a piece for the Welsh Assembly Government’s internal art competition. Deadline is March so I’ll be picking this one up again soon. Too soon if anything, March is a crazy deadline!

Still on the under-painting stage, and while this stage isn’t as exciting as when I get to start adding the dots, it is exciting to see the surface come to life as I apply the paint. The rough wax surface is almost invisible until paint is added on top, and even though it’s only the thinnest layers of paint I’ve applied, it already looks so weathered- it’s great! Once the dots are added it’ll take it to a another level as they play off the dotted wax drips.

Underpainting stage of Kit

Underpainting stage of Kit

This is currently my favorite part of the painting I think. I don’t know what to expect as I paint over the wax, areas like this just pop out, revealing the surface I created when the wax was melted onto the wood.

Surface detail of Kit

Surface detail of Kit

But.. all this is going on hold as I start my painting of Rhodri…

Start of the underpainting

Dec
06
Painting of Kit in progress

Painting of Kit in progress

This is the boring bit. The fun comes when the underpainting is done and I can start painting in dots and add loads more colours.

This stage alone is gonna take ages. Deadline for BP Portrait Award 2010 is valentine’s day. Yeah, no chance.

The next painting begins…

Dec
01
Palette prepared for painting

Palette prepared for painting