Home Forums Explore Media Acrylics Flemish technique using posterized "maps"

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #987835
    *dee*
    Default

        Grisaille is a gray & white painting, or under painting used in the Flemish technique. I had used somewhat of a Flemish technique with my last portrait (“Kristen & her guy“)….dead layer & a lot of glazes. It came out pretty good…not great though.

        And I had learned about using image software, both to posterize your reference photo and to convert it to grayscale.

        This “experiment” combines the Old World technique used in oil painting with the technology available through our computers.

        While comparing the different levels of color posterization in PaintShopPro, it occurred to me that to use a series of levels (to start applying the first layer going by a level 3 posterization, and then painting successive layers of glazes…each referring to a progressively higher level) MIGHT be an effective way of producing a very realistic portrait.

        I didn’t use every level between 3 and 15, some layers displayed such minor changes I skipped them. I am curious as to whether or not that made a difference.

        Colors used, from left to right: burnt sienna, cadmium yellow (light hue), yellow ochre, cadmium red (light hue), cadmium red (deep hue), burnt umber, raw umber, Hooker’s green, Payne’s gray, dioxazine purple, cobalt blue hue. For mixing I used zinc white…for the dead layer & where I needed an opaque white, titanium white was used.

        These colors weren’t always used out of the tube, I had to mix in almost every layer.

        This new layer of colors wasn’t laid down in the same order…but you can see how each color affects the others. And the transparency is such that the writing is not at all diminished.

        The details of the dead layer should still be apparent through even the final layers of color.

        In PaintShopPro, or other image manipulation program, turn your reference picture to grayscale…and print the size needed to fit your canvas. This grayscale print will be used to trace the image onto the support. I also hang this print next to my easel, where I can easily refer to it throughout the painting. I can keep track of my lights & darks, ensuring that I don’t lose them. I can also take measurements in the final layers, to make sure nothing has “shifted”.

        This posterized grayscale is used as a “map” while painting the “dead layer”. Depending on the subject you may want to use a different posterization level. I found the lowest one that gave me a good balance between fine details and strong shadows & highlights. I printed this out as well, though not full-sized.


        Transfer by rubbing the back of the grayscale print with graphite & tracing onto the support (after background color has been applied & has dried).

        Seal the lines of the graphite with paint (in this case cobalt blue) mixed with gloss medium.

        Also, referring to the posterized (in this case level 8) grayscale image…..shade in where needed.

        With Payne’s gray and titanium white, I laid down the dead layer. I didn’t paint very heavily, but I did go back over and refine as soon as areas were dry enough…to prevent “digging a hole” in the paint.

        After letting the first layer dry, I go back and add more detail to the dead layer. Still just working with white and gray, and referring to the grayscale print, I get as much of the detail as I can.

        The very darkest and very lightest areas are paid special attention.

        There is still blue showing through in some of the areas of shadow, this should work out fine for me.

        #1114903
        AndyMcC
        Default

            This was a really interesting read, I use posterize in Photoshop to simplify some images(although squinting does a similar thing) but I’ve never thought of applying it like this. Thanks for the information :D

            Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it - Dali
            Do not fear mistakes - there are none - Miles Davis

            #1114914
            *dee*
            Default

                After blocking in the color for her dress, I start applying very thin glazes on her skin.

                In PaintShopPro, I took the color ref pic and posterized it….starting with Level 3.

                I did a succession of layers, each time using a higher level of posterization as my reference “map”. The glazes were thin enough to allow the lower layers to be visible, transformed….but still visible.

                The first layers look a little creepy. But they should define the warm & cool areas. At this point I haven’t done much to her eyes, just a bit of shadowing.

                The glazes I used were about equal amounts of paint and gloss medium…a little water added to keep it sufficiently wet. Every layer was applied thinly…no brushstrokes show. I think even the first layer of color has influenced the last.

                After a few layers the skin is starting to show reflected colors from her dress. If I had changed the color of her dress, I would have had to change the color of these reflections.

                Each layer brings a slightly smoother appearance to her skin. It wasn’t necessary to print out any of the posterized color reference photos, my easel is next to my computer.

                I also start addressing her eyes, I zoom in closely with PSP…and with a fine detail brush, I copy the little bits of color.

                The variation of colors in her brown eyes is amazing….brown eyes are not JUST brown….the whites of our eyes are not JUST white.

                I had noticed that some of the highlights had gone. The layers of colors had muted the lights and darks…but more so the highlights.

                Again I pay close attention to the eye colors present when I zoom in…thin glazes allow the previous color to show through just a bit…but it is altered.

                And the skin is looking even smoother.

                Except for her hair, she is very close to complete…all that’s needed now are the finest details.

                Finally, I worked on smoothing out areas of color that were a little too defined. I also had to repeatedly touch up areas of highlight and shadow that kept getting “lost”.

                And I worked on the small details like……crease undr the eyes, lashes, lower eyelids, and correcting any “mistakes”.

                Gesso needed to be applied over parts of her hair…it just wasn’t right!

                Throughout these small details, I referred to the original photo.

                At this point its not quite done….but its close.

                #1114915
                *dee*
                Default

                    I guess I resized some of the images a wee bit too small….if anyone needs any of them bigger, let me know.

                    And if anyone is interested in my PowerPoint thingy, send me a PM and I’ll be happy to share it with you…it should email just fine.

                    #1114902
                    susme48
                    Default

                        Really interesting Dee!! Thanks!!!

                        [FONT="Impact"]♥ [FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]§usan [FONT="Impact"]♫

                        "Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting with the gift of speech." ~Simonides
                        "Who said one paints with colors? One employs colors, but one paints with feeling."

                        ~Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin
                        [/CENTER]
                        Susan's Soul________ Blog_______ Yessy

                        #1114905
                        AMuse
                        Default

                            wow dee – thanks for sharing this with us :)

                            #1114904
                            ~~Kathleen
                            Default

                                Hurrah!
                                You finally got it all posted!
                                What an interesting thread Dee.
                                She sure is a sweetie isn’t she?
                                ~~Kathleen

                                #1114911
                                Bizkit
                                Default

                                    ……..nice!!!!! A very interesting post to read indeed!!!!

                                    "Persistance is a virtue, patience is not"....
                                    "It is talent, not material quality, that produces quality work!!!"........plastechie(Jim).

                                    Check out my blog :clap:

                                    #1114900
                                    greymist
                                    Default

                                        This is very interesting. Thank you for posting!

                                        Lisa

                                        #1114920
                                        Andun
                                        Default

                                            Thanks Dee:) That was very interesting!

                                            [FONT="Book Antiqua"]
                                            If your painting makes YOU happy,it's enough :thumbsup: 🎨
                                            If another person likes it enough to want to own it...that is a bonus.🙃

                                            #1114908
                                            Colleen
                                            Default

                                                wow! what a wonderful thread! I am sure there will be more than a few that will find your information very useful. thanks for sharing!!

                                                Hello from So. Cal.
                                                Loobyteacher aka Colleen

                                                http://www.colleensparlin.com/

                                                #1114912
                                                noodle1
                                                Default

                                                    Thanks Dee for putting this together. Can you imagine what the Old Masters would think, always interesting to see what the tech stuff available to us can do. She’s a little honey and it turned out soooo well.

                                                    Elaine


                                                    [FONT=georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif][FONT=Arial Narrow]Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better. André Gide Forum Projects: Plant Parade projects in
                                                    Florals/Botanicals,
                                                    Different Strokes in the Acrylics Forum.

                                                    #1114913
                                                    sveldstra
                                                    Default

                                                        It is amazing how you have made modern technology and old master’s style work synergistically together, and how well you are able to break down the process and share it with us. Thank you Dee, I’m definitely bookmarking this thread.

                                                        #1114918
                                                        jjusticeart
                                                        Default

                                                            Thank you for posting this Dee. I think I may try this method when I do a realistic portrait of my son. It looks like a long process but worth it in the end if the result is good. Technology is a wonderful thing. I do normally use the posterize to help me with values anyway, but I don’t think I’ve ever looked at in this method. I’ll have to give it a try!

                                                            Jane Justice
                                                            Williamsburg, Virginia
                                                            Acrylics, pastels, Oil, Glass, weaving, textiles
                                                            and yes, I have ADD!..oohh, look a chicken!!

                                                            #1114899
                                                            cadub
                                                            Default

                                                                Beautiful job!! Thank you for taking the time to put this together……..Very interesting!!

                                                              Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)
                                                              • The topic ‘Flemish technique using posterized "maps"’ is closed to new replies.