Blah old day

I'm having a blah kind of day today. Feel out of sorts and out of sync.  That should have been a big flag in my face saying 'DON'T PAINT'....but paint I did.  I'm wanting to get the painting done for the Curves breast cancer fund raiser.  I thought I'd take you through one of my painting processes in greater detail than usual.

I start by picking a reference photo (usually from my own photographs) and then select a canvas to suit the composition of the image.  In this case I think the canvas I am using is just a 50cm x 50cm that I had on hand. I'm getting better at selecting colours to use but if I get stuck I have made up some colour charts that I can use to help me work out how to mix just about anything from a limited range of paints.  I've included a little frame to show the colour range I'm trying to mix from (not all of them).

Once I decide on colours I prep the canvas with gesso or a 3 in 1 sealer and primer.  I usually do two coats and sand in between.  If I want a bit more 'tooth' to my canvas I don't bother priming.  For something like a flower I then cover the whole canvas in a mid tone from the image.  Once I've done this I transfer the image onto the canvas.  Sometimes I add the image loosely with a slurry of paint a few shades darker than the background or use charcoal, pastel or chalk.

I often draw in freehand but have included an example using a grid for those of you who aren't confident in your drawing abilities.  I've placed the reference photo inside a plastic sleeve and drawn a grid over it (it's moved in the image - make sure it's evenly spaced when you do it).  Examples of materials to use to draw image onto canvas.

I selected the paints based on my colour chart.  Cadmium yellow light, napthol crimson, pthalo blue, titanium white and carbon black.  I mix these onto my palette and then mix further as needed on the canvas

I start putting in colours and tones and on a day like today NOTHING seems to work. It's very hot and windy and the paint is not going on easily even with the use of medium.  I left it like this for a few hours as I was just getting upset. It wasn't working, the brush was loosing bristles continually, I dropped the paintbrush....you get the picture.

After my little mental health break I came back and got into it again.  The darks that seemed way too dark and out of place now are not dark enough but it is starting to take shape and when I get the tones right it will gain the correct form.  I generally do quite a few layers as I build up to the final image.  You can see my reference perched on top of the canvas.  Some people I know use sheet music stands to hold their reference but I haven't fixed on a way to do it yet.  Sometimes I hold the reference in my free hand, toss it on the table and paint from memory, lose it on the floor under the dog....  I got to this stage this afternoon and decided to quite when I knocked a container of clear painting medium all over the floor.  Sometimes you just need to be out in the garden instead. :)

Speaking of which, don't my azaleas look lovely.  Happy sigh.