Painting process of head. (Patreon)

This video begins painting process of my composition with figure. The composition will be with golden hair and probably with some golden ornament, but I`m not sure actually. As usually I`ve got already the sketch but without ornaments and name of piece. I considered to start from painting process and skip process of creating  preliminary  drawing. So I will start from covering of first local layer of color it`s could imprimitura. It helps me to create colors of next layers paint. Constantly I didn`t do it but in this case I decided to try.

So I cover whole area except area with fabric, because I`ll use texture with paper there and I have to keep canvas white. For imprimitura I used dammar varnish with turpentine as medium and mix of colors which contain ivory black, raw umber, Prussian blue and a less amount of raw sienna.  This mixture has to be quite transparent because I have to see my preliminary drawing. And after applying I use smooth brush because drawing  should be visible better.

When paint is completely dry I start paint head of figure. By the way this video give access to painting process of face, painting process of flesh will be in next video because I haven`t done this process yet. Besides if I put two those subjects in one video I will skip something probably.

So I`m starting from head, it`s the most important detail in composition, certainly if it exist. In case with dark base it`s harder to start because I have to paint head but even the most darker point on head is lighter then background. So at the first stage it`s looks like photo negative. As usually I start from shadows and for this action I used mix of linseed oil, dammar varnish and turpentine as medium and mix colors which contain raw sienna ivory black, yellow ocher and titanium white. I use this mixture for hair, shadow under nose, shadow under lips, orbits , eyebrows, hair and contour of face. About contour of face and contour in general I want to tell that it`s actually at the first view unimportant thing really helps. Because during mixing those  two mixtures I mean deep shadow contour and half-tone of shadow and next mixtures, appears gradient which makes shape.

Next step will be covering half tone of shadow. Actually this method very similar with painting process of white fabric from previous video about still life, because it`s also quite light tone. So I cover the half tone of shadow and thereby make a little shape in places where mixtures are connect. And then I`m correcting drawing by round brush from weasel weal. At this stage is important thing is to safe drawing correct and to create a spot of body for composition. The goal is just to make a spot without any shape. At this step I make base for next layers and color may to change depend on areas but the tone shouldn`t be changed, otherwise shape appears earlier then it has to. And in first I cover with this mixture even those surfaces which will be different such as light on the lip or nose. The mix of colors is contained the same mixture as for deep shadow but with bigger amount ivory black and titanium white.

As I said the colors may be changed namely nose and cheeks warmer if compare with mandible and neck has to be colder and lighter. So there should be gradients and doesn`t matter if you can`t see in origin. It`s a law. Tone of eyelids have to be darker than tone of other parts of skin. So I am don`t touch them with last layers. Next step is creating half tone of light, but at the first view looks like exactly light. It`s normal since this mixture will be mixed with half-tone of shadow by smooth brush and will becomes darker. For this mix I use yellow ocher, ivory black, mars red and raw sienna. Actually the mixture almost the same but proportions  are different.

I use black color not just for turning mixture in more difficult shade of grey but also as cold color. Because black with titanium white depend on surrounding can be cold or warm color. For example in this case with warm surrounding it`s looks colder. And if I mix red mars with ivory black and titanium white I will get cold violet shade. Eyebrows and hair I keep in the first condition, namely liquid and dark. Then they will be mixing on borders by smooth brush. After that they will be able to take place in face space.

During the studying of painting I`ve got one important thing that differences between half tone of light and light shouldn`t be big, otherwise object especially face becomes not realistic enough. So that`s why I make layers with little different between them. The idea is to fuse every next layer in previous. And one more, after using brush for smoothing paint layer becomes smooth and volume becomes soft but meanwhile all this layers erase a bit and become thiner. In case with white canvas it`s isn`t big problem but in case with dark base, as this case, whole image may become darker then you expected. In XVII-XVIII centuries some painters used middle layer of paint it`s called «Deth layer», because this layer didn`t contain any color, just black and white and shadows was lither then in next layer. The goal of this layer was support next layer with color, because with such thin layer painting becomes too dark. In conclusion I just want to say do not use smooth brushes to much often.

Because you may just erase you paint layer till the moment when it`s become a bit transparent.

And I execute covering half-tone of light from the most bright point, usually it`s frontal bone . Certainly it`s depend on case, so there are can be exist some an exeptions. But what important that there shouldn`t be two points with the same tone. For example frontal bone, zygomatic bone and mandible have to has different tone, but also they have to keep one spot of part of body together. It`s mean that the different between them have to be little as much as possible. This rule for all objects, not just for figure.

Also  I execute whole painting process of body during the time when the paint still wet. Because after drying the paint the next smear will be different namely darker. Oil paint is becomes darker after drying then was before. It`s normal process. So that`s why If the shape wasn't smooth. I would be able to continue but in case with smooth shape it`s impossible. Probably that is the end of this video, but not the end of painting body. So wait to another part video of painting process, where I'll be showing painting process of hand and hip part of body. And this video will be availible during this month. Thank you for attanchion.