Tea and Flowers - an Underpainting

[Verdaccio]

This is my first still life - normally I do portraiture. Thought I would post it here. I saw some still life paintings from an artist in France that had a Grisaille underpainting - thought I would try one.

Here is the completed underpainting. I found this project to be really hard! The values were so subtle! The teapot is made up of about nine values all in the upper range of gray. Really hard to see the difference in a half-step value!

http://www.fineportraitsinoil.com/TeapotProgress7.jpg

[YLCIA]

THIS IS GORGEOUS!!!!!!

[Javier]

Verdaccio, looking forward to the finished work. So far I am amazed at the "Tea and Flowers" underpainting detail.

Waiting For The Finished Viewing,

[fink]

Holy Cow! This is wonderful!! I also would like to see the finished painting. Be sure to post it also. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Verdaccio]

Thanks to all for the comments. I will be sure to post the final of this - probably sometime next week. :)

[sandge]

This is terrific - as are your portraits.

I would just like to ask about the sudden burst of light in the space where the teapot handle is. It looks a bit odd not to continue this in the background beyond that area - kind of looks like a hollow. Also, the area immediately below the handle and above the table cloth in the background I think could be darker - it looks a bit unfinished.

Looking forward to seeing more. :)

[llis]

Verdaccio,

Sure wish that we all could see a step-by-step of this painting. Could you take some pictures for us and give us your thoughts along the way?

:)

[Verdaccio]

Originally posted by llis
Verdaccio,

Sure wish that we all could see a step-by-step of this painting. Could you take some pictures for us and give us your thoughts along the way?

:)


llis: Sure would be happy to post some additional shots. I have posted my progress so far in the oil painting forum, so if folks want to see my false start and the new progression through charcoal and grisaille, then here is the link:

http://wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14432

Sandra: I do agree with you that in the photo, it looks like the light does not extend beyond the pot handle. The painting is not this way, but my camera did not pick up the value gradients. I will lighten it up a bit for the color stage. :)

[Leaflin]

Michael
I am so glad you posted this.
There is already so much work in it.
Will you be adding the colour in thin translucent glazes?

[Verdaccio]

Originally posted by leaflin
Michael
I am so glad you posted this.
There is already so much work in it.
Will you be adding the colour in thin translucent glazes?

Yes, at this point, I consider the painting to be about 90% done. I will glaze the background, the teapot, and the table. I may glaze the pink rose on top, but will likely paint some opaque as well. When you do the underpainting to this level of detail, color goes quite fast.

[Victor]

Absolutely fantastic, I'm completely gobsmacked. Looking forward to seeing the finished job....:clap:

Vic

[Verdaccio]

I put a glaze of Burnt Umber over the background and the table. I am trying to do the roses somewhat looser. They are Napthol Red Light mixed with Titanium. The orange roses are Cad Orange with Titanium.

http://www.fineportraitsinoil.com/TeapotProgress8.jpg

[Leaflin]

Michael

WOW!

I am "gobsmacked" too,
and I don't even know what it means :)

[TeAnne]

Holy Hell, what can I say thats not been said? It is just gorgeous. I can't wait to see it finished to see how you paint the flowers on the teapot. WOW http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/29-Jun-2001/flash.gif

[Verdaccio]

Painted the pot and the cloth today. White without using white. I mixed up 6 whites using titanium and blue, green, red, purple, panes gray. It is starting to really come together!

http://www.fineportraitsinoil.com/TeapotProgress9.jpg

[Masterartworks]

Finished value study, yes. I can tell that you love the detail of this wonderful still life setup, you've done it well.

Under painting? Huh...

The late Russian American Painter, Sergei Bongart, often told his students that this approach was, "like trying to paint the hair before the dog."

The purpose of underpainting is for layout and design, blocking in the general light patterns and dark patterns. Working from the darkest masses to the lightest masses. The next stage is when you establish the color family relationships, and the correct color values. You continue to build to the finished shapes of describing form. The details and accents, is the final step.

Developing the painting to this point makes it really hard, because when you start laying in the color, the values will change with each color used. This throws off all the relationships you have so painfully established. It is, also, makes it harder to make the need changes necessary to make everything work, because you are afraid of losing the detail. Color and temperature decisions, are not as easily made, as you have probably found out.


Lei

[Verdaccio]

Originally posted by Masterartworks

Developing the painting to this point makes it really hard, because when you start laying in the color, the values will change with each color used. This throws off all the relationships you have so painfully established. It is, also, makes it harder to make the need changes necessary to make everything work, because you are afraid of losing the detail. Color and temperature decisions, are not as easily made, as you have probably found out.Lei

Lei: Actually, I find that it makes it easier - for me, value is the key to painting. I establish a value in the underpainting, I am going to put a corresponding value of color over it. I use a value scale of 1-9 (1 being darkest, 9 lightest). So, if I underpaint a passage of a red rose that is say a value 4, then when I get to color, I will put a value 4 red over it.

The difficulty I had here was that I really didn't nail the values properly in the underpainting - at least on the cloth and the teapot - I had them too dark. The pot is really quite light and the values go in half steps not whole ones - values 8, 9 and pure white. That is also a value in this method, you have multiple opportunities to perfect the form.

[Victor]

I absolutely agree with verdaccio on underpainting. I do the same thing and it does make it easier in as much as you can work out all the problems at this stage. I don't care what the russians say. This is getting better and better. The underpainting was a master piece and I look forward to seeing it finished.

:clap: