Atlantic Octopus: Part 4

Getting closer to being finished:

Mr and Mrs Smith: Final, Part 2

After allowing the puppies to dry, I realized that I may have gone too far with my color correcting and made Mr Smith a little dull. I also wanted the background to pop more and repainted that as well.

Here they are again, with a little bit of darkening. The first is the original final and the second is the new final (the colors are more correct in the second):

Orange Oil Paint: Pigments, Basics, and How to Pick the Right Orange

Orange, the color of life vests and crossing guards, autumn and amusement, Buddhism and Hinduism, was not always such a “safe” color. Historically produced through extremely toxic means, it wasn’t until the 1880s, when synthetic oranges were produced from Cadmium Yellow, that a stable, almost non-toxic orange was available to artists.

Orange is one of the youngest true pigments; even its name is relatively new. Oddly the color orange, at least in the West, didn’t have a name until the late 15^th century when orange trees were brought from China. Before it was referred to as yellow-red. I had always erroneously assumed that the orange tree was named for the color and not the other way around.

Top Characteristic: Unlike yellow and red, orange becomes brighter instead of darker when deepened by its neighbor, red. 

Orange is the warmest color on the color wheel and tends to advance towards the viewer, though less than yellow.    

Cadmium Orange: Made from Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange is a warm, opaque orange with a naturally muted tint. 

The first true orange pigment as it is considered to be the pure hue of Orange. It was a happy replacement to minium, orpiment (arsenic), and Realgar, all extremely toxic or poisonous orange pigments used throughout the Middle Ages and Ancient China into the 1800s.

As a pure hue of orange, Cadmium Orange is also the warmest color on the color wheel.

Azo Orange, like Azo Yellow, is a non-toxic, cheaper, and equally lightfast option to Cadmium Orange.

Transparent Orange: Made from the dark yellow pigment diarylide, Transparent Orange is a warm, transparent orange with a strong red undertone that creates a muted but bright tint.

Transparent Orange is a rich, complex orange that creates variation in color temperature by being warm right out of the tube, but when mixed with white it pushes the paint into the cooler range. Transparent Orange allows for delicate glazes, blends, and mixtures.

Indian Yellow: Now made synthetically, Indian Yellow is a warm, transparent, deep yellow-orange with naturally sunlit tints. 

Used by the ancient Far East and throughout Europe during the 15th and 18th century, how the pigment was made was unknown until an investigation in 1883. Made in rural India (hence Indian Yellow) by force feeding cows mango leaves and little to no water. The cow's urine was collected into dirt balls and sold as a "pigment." After being banned in various countries the paint is now synthetically made.  

I included Indian Yellow as a part of my oranges because it is such a deep yellow-orange. I like to use it in place of Cadmium Orange when I need a transparent orange. 

How to Pick the Right Orange 

All of that being said, most artists of the past would mix their own oranges. It hasn't been until the past handful of decades that colorfast oranges have become available and are now more widely used. Having a tube orange can help create consistency throughout multi-day painting sessions, but this is also easy to achieve by mixing.

So while I do have both Cadmium Orange and Indian Yellow, these are colors that you can hold off on purchasing, unless you are a heavy orange user or you need a transparent orange. Transparency is also most impossibly to maintain through mixing.

Orange used throughout Art History: Below are some very orange paintings in the following order - Lord Leighton, Van Gogh, Fragonard, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rossetti.

For more about painting check out my main Tips and Techniques page.

Apple Final 2: Direct Painting - Alla Prima

Yep, the shadow was a little too much for me, below is the original final and then the final with a more muted shadow: 

 

Mr and Mrs Smith: Final

The puppies are done! Below is the progress and the final:

Apple Final: Direct Painting - Alla Prima

This morning I was thinking to myself about some steps or guidelines for direct painting and as I was thinking about this I was struck by an odd desire to paint a still life, but not just any still life... fruit.

I used to paint fruit, a lot. Like a lot and a lot. A professor of mine only wanted me to paint fruit and I spent years doing so. Needless to say, I have been fruited out.

Below is the still life set-up (a horrible photo, the spot light isn't on), some quick progress photos, and the final image:

6 in x 6 in, Braeburn Apples, Oil on Panel 

I have decided that I don't like the shadow mass on the back apple. It looks a little concave to me. I will have to fix that.

Direct Painting: Alla Prima vs Wet-on-Wet vs En Plein Air

Direct painting refers to a classification of methods that are done when all of the painted layers are completed while the paint is still wet. Direct painting generally requires more confidence of brush stroke and concentration, and can be done in stages or completely free-hand.

Here I will be describing the basic types of direct painting and providing some videos highlighting each technique (I apologize for the music in some of the videos).

Alla Prima

Carol Marine                                                                                John Singer Sargent

Literally meaning "at first attempt," this method is when a painting is completed within one painting session. Alla Prima tends to have a freer brush stroke and a more painterly feel. Colors remain largely unblended and maintain a bright, spontaneous look.

Wet-on-Wet

This direct method can be done in one session or in multiple, as long as the layers remain wet. Wet-on-Wet is similar in process to the Alla Prima, however its objective is to have a more naturalistic and less painterly feel. Colors are softer, more blended, and applied in thin applications.

En Plein Air

Monet

Meaning "in open air," this method is when a painting is done completely outside, usually in Alla Prima. Alla Prima is more favorable due to changing light conditions and a faster drying time from being outside.

For more about painting check out my main Tips and Techniques page.

Mr and Mrs Smith: Part 4

The puppies are almost done. I just need to wait for Mr Smith to dry and then knock down his highlights a little bit and they will be done! Here they are as of today:

 

Mr and Mrs Smith: Part 3

Heavens, these puppies are hard to paint. Here is a little bit more progress:

Atlantic Octopus: Part 3

Making a little bit more progress, her left side is almost completely done.