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Joeslucher
May 9th, 2005, 11:31 AM
I'm studying under a student of Paul Ingrebtson named Richard Luschek. In a week or so I should have a better photo. This one is kind of blurry.
http://host321.ipowerweb.com/~joesluch/Images/still-life.jpg

If anybody wants to know my process here it is.
Step 1. Gather a huge amount of objects that you might put in your still life spend 6 hours studying them and getting to know their color and how light reflects or doesn't reflect off of them.
Step 2. Resist setting up still-life and go to your sketchbook. Sketch out possible set-ups. This step was only 30 minutes or so.
Step 3. Begin setting objects up and adjusting them and backdrop. This probably took 7 hours. The idea is for the set-up to look like a masterpiece from the beginning, if not, it's not worth painting.
Step 4. 14 hour charcoal drawing. Make sure to draw more than you plan to paint then come in with crop guides and decide the composition for painting.
Step 5. If drawing still makes you think set-up is worth painting. Spend 7 hours on a 5x7 color study. If set-up still seems worth investing massive amounts of time in, continue to step 6.
Step 6. Beginning of painting. Don't bother transferring drawing to canvas as it's probably wrong. It was just to show you if set up is worth painting as far as value.Try your best not to draw. Just put a spot of color in the general area it will be and then adjust that color until it appears exactly correct. Continue this around the painting.

This is where it becoms more difficult to describe. The emphasis is on lost and found edges. You want to save yourself work and if you squint you'll be surprised how many edges disappear but how recognizable it still is. The edges are what makes a painting realistic. This photo makes all my edges look fuzzy but I promise there's some sharp ones.

hito
May 9th, 2005, 11:49 AM
Wow, that's a ton of preperation for a single painting.

Pays off though, looking at the photo.

Joeslucher
May 9th, 2005, 12:34 PM
Thanks for the compliment. It is a lot of prep but if you spend 30 hours prepping and discover the painting won't work, then it saves you time if you're spending about 60 hours on a painting. If the painting will work, you'll be able to paint it that much better thanks to the knowledge you've gained through the prep work. I'm pretty much starting out so all my times are probably a lot longer than people who are used to working this way. Richard now spends only 3-4 hours I believe on the prep drawing and often skips the color study.

Two more pointers that are kind of obvious but I never thought about. If you're trying to make a line, the paint in that area needs to be wet, you can't dry brush a crisp line. Paint lights big and carve out outlines with dark paint.

Also generally make strokes go in the direction the light is coming across your painting, this will cause ridges not to interfere with how you're perceiving value.

Dizon
May 9th, 2005, 01:23 PM
Great works all come in time! Great advice Joe! It's amazing you're getting this kind of intensive training from a student of Paul's who in turn used to be Gammell's.

Goodluck!

Joeslucher
May 9th, 2005, 01:36 PM
patdzon-hey you know the lineage! Cool. Guess who I'm neighbors with? Carl Samson, one of the best portrait painters in the country, who studied directly under Gammell. I occasionally get to attend a sketch group with him. I'm looking forward to learning how to make fine paintings.

Dizon
May 9th, 2005, 01:51 PM
patdzon-hey you know the lineage! Cool. Guess who I'm neighbors with? Carl Samson, one of the best portrait painters in the country, who studied directly under Gammell. I occasionally get to attend a sketch group with him. I'm looking forward to learning how to make fine paintings.

That's amazing...I envy you! haha...It's funny cuz i was just reading about Gammell and how important he was in bringing back this almost extinct tradition in the art of painting and sculpture. But, big thanks to Paxton as well! hehe