This week I prepared my 18×24″ canvas with a variety of colours all in the mid tones in terms of darkness. I also sketched the position and clothing for the figure in the painting. The final result was refined during class today while producing this sketch to be used to transfer the most detailed part of the painting onto the canvas. For this I simply traced the sketch onto tracing paper, put graphite from my handy 6B pencil on the back and then transferred onto my canvas. It was still hard to see, so I followed up by applying some acrylic paint (raw umber) to follow the outline.
At this point some more adjustments were made with the teacher’s advice. The balance and composition were improved until we were both satisfied.
There was only enough time left to add some tone to the painting – also in a wash of raw umber acrylic paint. Since the light source will be from the far side of the hills, just adding the wash starts to give that feeling, starting to create ambiance and give an idea of the shape of the final painting. Even though this painting will be completed using oil paint, doing the painting to this point using acrylic was helpful as the detail won’t be smudged away when the oil paint is added next week.
Last time I posted poems that Tom had sent me for this work – here is another one, a haiku:
Clotho’s tangled thread
trails across the pier at dawn
she casts herself free
images (cc) 2013 Hilary Farmer
poetry (c) 2013 TJ Radcliffe
Green Tea Doodles 
I really like the sense that the light on the water, bounded by the shadows of the mountains, is opening out to welcome her!
That is exactly the intention! 🙂