Is it done yet?
You never want to overpaint or overthink.
I’ve been working on Singing at Dusk for an inordinate amount of time. I began thinking about this painting early last summer, and I created the final sketch in August. Once I sketched it out on the primed panel… where to start? First the sky, a solid cadmium red underpainting. Any idea how long it takes for cadmium red to dry? While I was waiting, I started playing with the water.
The birds were singing, but my model, Haley, had a closed mouth in the original sketch. She is living in California now, so I had to make it up. I worked the concept up on a small panel to try it out. This one also started out with a red background, but when I overpainted the sky, it became more “dawn” colors. And I had the opportunity to use some new tools to texture her hair: a liner brush and this double-ended wiping tool.
My goal, since I work on a white panel, is to eliminate as much white as early as possible. Every tone and hue bounces off whatever is adjacent to it, changing your perception of color, depth, and tone (warm vs. cool) as you paint.
See how the sky starts to gain luminescence from the red underpainting?
Her tattoo was a new addition, as was the beaded bracelet - both help define the anatomy of her arm. I have painted detailed water before, but mostly in soft pastel chalk. This water (which is an underpainting) had to compete with the sky and give a sense of movement and reflection, the patterns balancing the stillness of the figure.
I was not complete happy with her mouth. I looked at lots of images of people singing to figure out how to open her mouth correctly. Then I sketched and repainted it. I also changed her eye color from warm brown to a blue/green. In this close-up, you can see how the cadmium red underpainting gives her a glowing edge.
Is it done yet?
I’ve moved it to my secondary easel to dry. But - cautiously - I think it’s finished. Maybe just a glaze on the water, and some retouch varnish on the sunk-in areas to bring out the darks. And my signature. We’ll see.
Last summer, I sketched out a second painting, the same size - 48” x 36”. That one is now headed to the main easel. And I also created a small painting, 12” square, to figure out a part of that painting ahead of time.
Adventures in Wonderland. I can’t wait to see where this painting takes me!