March 19, 2014

Park Strut

Acrylic on Panel - 4 x 6 inches - Click Here to Bid

A week late with my submission to the Daily Paintworks "Quick Photo Challenge", but as they say better late than never.

The challenge is really a skill developing exercise. You are to look at a scene or photo for 60 seconds, and then try to paint just the figure from memory.

I mentally mapped out the background as a reference. Three strong horizontals, which coincidently crossed the figure at the neck, just below the waist and between the knee and ankle.  I had to laugh. I guess this is how I think of a scene now, using the landscape to situate the figure.

With that in mind I focuses on the shapes of the figure. Head, waist, elbow, shoes. The colors would be easy to remember, but the angles and masses were harder.

My first go was OK, but I had the relationships wrong off the bat. I could see the handbag was too big, and arm too long, so I quickly dabbed over them.

I cheated a little when I was done with the exercise, and peeked at the photo. I had forgotten the shadow on the legs, so I put those in and filled in the background with quick strokes, again, not looking at the photo any more.

This lesson was interesting and had me looking at things differently all day.

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