Since several individuals are posting half-finished pieces, and this particular master copy is much more complicated then my last one, I will split it into two parts. Part 1 will be today, part 2 tomorrow.
- Artist: Zinaida Serebriakova (Russian painter)
- Year: 1930
- Source: I actually found it on a Russian site, but it has since dropped the pictures. I have posted my personal collection on my brother's online image repository here: http://www.jerbl.com/images/post/list/SEREBRIAKOVA_zinaida/1
- Process done so far:
- Detailed sketch of basic layout/construction. Utilized a new technique where I start the pic out at like 33%, work general, make a new layer, turn the opacity of the first layer down, make brush smaller, zoom in at 50% and work a bit more specific. The next step would be the same except turn the first sketch off. I utilized many other techniques, but essentially ended up with 9 separate sketch layers. I also tried to treat the painting as I would a figure drawing.
- New layer, do a value study utilizing the paintbrush set on the opacity feature. Eventually turn off the final sketch I did in step 1.
- Process plan to do tomorrow:
- I basically plan to utilize the concepts for color application I utilized here: http://monisawa.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-technique-explorations.html Except where I stopped for that picture, will be where I continue into the PAINT, PAINT, PAINT step for this one.
- The desired technique: I love Zinaida's work for several reasons. One is the somewhat rouph bold strokes, which are exact and volume defining. The other is the vibrant lively colors. I feel that this picture best portrays that from all her works.
- Noticed as worked:
- I noticed that she uses black quite curiously, she tends to lay it down in sections, and even use it as tool to sketch her painting on, then at times she will paint over those line switch color. I also noticed how often she uses simultaneous contrast. Where there is a dark dark, she often put a contrasting light (even if it shouldn't naturally be there...the pot's handle for example.) She also utilizes her black outlines to further the simultaneous contrast.
- I don't know about other people, but painting on the computer is different for me than painting in real life. On the computer my method is to get basically everything defined (overall construction, value, and the colors at least 90% as you want) then on a new layer tighten everything up utilizing the eye dropper and paintbrush to push and pull the colors in a painterly fashion. To paint in real life, (especially in acrylic) once a color is applied, that is that. Obviously one could paint over it, but the computer tends to add a bit more liberties.
I think the main thing to note about her blacks (and you're picking up on it too) is that they aren't black. Part of the reason this painting looks so rich is that all of her deepest values are mixed blacks or pure pigments. Keep in mind that the darkest colors on the girl have reds in them as well as the shadow of the pear. Keep that in mind when you move to the colors. Maybe tint your gray-scale so that there isn't black in it at all.
ReplyDeleteProportionately, her head's a little large. Look at how graceful the neck line and chin are in the original. :3
Think about adding in a canvas texture with a low opacity. It'll make it more believable and charming. And down on the window sill, she used a palette knife. It might be nice if you did a test palette knife mark with some acrylic, scanned that in, and make a brush from it.
Overall, this seems like it'll be really nice when it's done! :D
Oh my gosh her head IS too big. Wow, it makes me want to go hide, or change it right now. haha!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip about the pallette knife. I am quite an ametaur when it comes to traditional painting. (For example I had no clue she used a pallette knife at all.)
Regarding the canvas texture, thanks, though I was planning on adding that after I finished the color. You are right though, it will make it look much more charming.
Thanks for the VERY useful comments.
Actually, I was thinking about it, how do you make a custom brush like that? I've heard of people making their own, and on many occasions I've adjusted the generic brushes on the SUPER pop-out menu and technically made my own that way...what are the basics for creating a brush from scratch? Know any good references of tutorials? (I've heard from Mike F. that there alot of sites offerin free brushes, but I'd like to understand the basics first...)
ReplyDeleteI did a post on my blog for you. My best advice for translating a palette knife stroke is to do a dark color on white so that you don't have much editing to do. Make sure their is some variety in the edges with some rough and some smoother.
ReplyDeleteIt's understandable that you didn't see that she used it. It's taken a lot of training with different painting techniques to figure out exactly what someone used. You can really tell in the extreme highlights on and below the window sill. Everything else is done with a paint brush. The nice rough textures come from her using a drier brush in those areas. Smoother is wetter, rougher is drier.
Hope that helps!
Yes, keep something like a canvas texture till the end as an overall layer effect. Oil painting is more like digital. It stays "open" much longer allowing you to push and pull it around and into itself. Acrylic blending happens more as layers of open dry brush. That works in digital too. You just need to create some very open and fuzzy digital brushes. This particular piece would benefit a lot from some fuzzy brushes. Start with a stipply circle of lots of tiny dots and define a brush preset from that. Then adjust the angle and size jitters all the way up to help randomize it. I'll see if I can do a recording on that. I really like that you have attacked the values first. I would also like to do some demos on the kind of stuff Megan is talking about with the palette knife stroke. It will take some time to produce though because it requires so physical prep-work.
ReplyDeleteThanks again Megan. Your breakdown of painting is most helpful.
ReplyDeleteMr. Babcock, ironically when I asked Megan how to build a brush from scratch, utilizing the stippling is exactly what I had in mind...but thanks for the run-through of other settings, I'm sure I will need it. Regarding the palette knife, thanks, I will appreciate it.