First oil painting / study : WIP

[Brooksie]

Hey gang ..

Ok after some great advice from people on here i've decided to have a proper go with oils. I've played around a little with them but not actually tried to paint anything as such. So rather than mess around i thought i'd go head first into it with a figure study ! :D

(i can hear you laughing now)

Anyway .. i drew a rough outline, it is from a reference photo but just something from the internet so i don't think i can post it.

Its just going to be black and white im afraid .. (colour .. not a strong point for me, particularly flesh tones!) .. So i have a tube of black, a tube of white, some spirit and away we go ! :D

Here's the drawing .... on canvas board, 14 x 11. (sorry about the quality, taken on a camera phone under artificial light)

Steve

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/rx7dizzy2002/Art/oilstudy01.jpg

[ajb]

Off to a good start. You're proportions look really good.

Can't wait to see how this goes, I've never really done an oil in black and white. I tend to stick to color just because I think I'd end up making mud.

Have fun with it!

[kevinwueste]

it would perhaps be useful for you to truly LAY down the shadow shapes instead of just leave this as largely a line drawing. and if she was blasted with light - say - from diffused flashes then I wouldn't suggest it as a reference.. but if you see shadows, say on the breast forms, the arms, shoulder and head - lay them in.. then you'll have something to work with (and work from! from dark to light)..

[Brooksie]

Hey Hampeggotty, you raise a very good point .. i've started now but there are lots of shadows to work with so hopefully i should be ok.

Here's the first update after an hour or so ... Oils seem to be alot easie to blend than say acrylics.

Again .. crappy camera .. the canvas isn't really yellow !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/rx7dizzy2002/Art/oilstudy02.jpg

[kevinwueste]

i think you've done a nice job on laying the figure down.. but i would suggest looking for the shadow shapes, both cast and core ( form) shadows and getting them firmly established.. it will be very helpful in establishing volumes of forms.. good luck! ( sorry if my first attempt to suggest this was way unclear!)

[Eduardo Flores]

A good start.
color? Very important; Values? fundamental: Study carefully your values, and the result will be good, even if just black & White.
Oh yes: avoid details: they may be an awful trap.

Eduardo

[Brooksie]

ok .. next installment. And a better picture more representing what its actually like.

Hey Eduardo, i've avoided colour as im colour blind, attempting something like flesh tones is something that makes my head hurt !! ..

Anyway .. all C&C welcome :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/rx7dizzy2002/Art/oilstudy03.jpg

[Rosic]

off to a great start... looking forward to seeing each stage of this WIP...

[Eduardo Flores]

....attempting something like flesh tones...
There is a kind ob obsession in rendering "flesh tones"; actually, any color (in the correct general contest) can give great results.
As a kind of proof, remember Monna Lisa, looking at us from her wall at the Louvre: she is an eternal masterpiece, despite her yellowish shade, revealing to a doctor some liver malfunction.
No, color isn't all, values, shadows, 3rd dimension, lines make the great work.

Eduardo