The trouble with bubbles. . .

[Gboo531]

I'm currently working on a piece reminiscent of a classic 'Odalisque" painting, but with a whimsical, dreamy setting. My female figure is reclining on a 'couch' made of bubbles. My problem is, I'm having trouble making these bubbles transfer from mental image to painted form. I sketched them very loosely in my paper/pencil studies, and figured they would make the move to paint with no problems. But there are. They look static, and become a muddy mess when I try to create any kind of layering. Its becoming very frustrating
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

[Keith2]

What you are trying to do is very difficult, especially if you are hoping to paint the set up from your imagination, rather than observation.

[Gboo531]

Well, I have a reference photo for the figure, taken on a couch so as the persons body has weight and give. The bubbles are a right pain though, you're right.

[llawrence]

Are you working in oils? Since you were able to draw the bubbles all right in your sketch, you might similarly try painting them in black and white, letting it dry and then glazing transparent colors over the top. If you use only transparent colors for the glazes then it won't muddy up on you. Just watch out for hue shifts in the glazing... yellow over black makes green, red over black shifts to purple. Still, I bet that would be an easier way of getting what you're describing than direct painting, and might further help give the bubbles that glassy feel.