Tuesday, August 19, 2014

How to Create a Painting Part 1

I am working on a painting of Ophelia.  I will go more into the "story" of the painting once I post the finished version, but I wanted to walk you through my process for creating a painting.

The first step behind any painting is to have an idea or story that you would like to tell.  One of my students has been working on a master copy of Milais' Ophelia.  I wanted to do a modern take on Ophelia, so I started thinking of compositions.  I was walking to my studio one morning and the design popped into my head.  I could see it clearly, which for me is always necessary before I begin a painting.  If I don't know where I am going, I can't get there.  I need to know how I would like the painting to look.  A few years ago I traveled to Kaaterskill Falls and I explored the top of the falls.  There is a beautiful little glen there and I have been wanting to use it in a painting for a long time.  I am going to change it for this painting, but it will serve as the inspiration for the setting.

Next:  the preliminary drawing and value study.

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