One Catherine, Two Primary Palettes

Sometimes I'll return to a homework assignment to complete it if I've run out of time, or push myself a little further if I feel there is more to explore. This was the case with a primary palette homework assignment given by Anne Petty this quarter. We were asked to paint two loose reproductions of a master painting using different primary palettes. We could choose from three self portraits by Catherine Kehoe. I chose this one because the brushwork and color combinations seemed the most challenging to take on.

  

Original Image by Catherine Kehoe

       



With the first palette, I was unable to get really satisfying red-violets. Having alizarin crimson available in the second palette felt wonderful, but with yellow ochre as my only yellow, I was unable to get the chartreuse colors with the second palette, and chose to strive for a rich gold as a substitute.

I spent quite a bit of time on these, making three or four passes on each. I was fascinated with Kehoe's sharp, flat brushwork, and tried to mimic her shapes and strokes as much as her colors.  My favorite part is the collar. I love the structure and solidity of it.





 

Julie Devine, Kehoe after Kehoe, Palette 1, 2011

Oil on Board, 12" x 9"

Palette 1:

Titanium White,
Burnt Sienna

Cad. Yellow Light
Ultramarine Blue

Julie Devine, Kehoe after Kehoe, Palette 2, 2011
Oil on Board, 14" x 11"

Palette 2:

Alizarin Crimson
Yellow Ochre
Colbalt Blue
B. Sienna

Titanium White

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November Nudes



  

Julie Devine, Autumn Nude, 2011
Oil on canvas, 16" x 20



Julie Devine, November, 2011
Oil on canvas, 20" x 16"









Two Portrait Drawings

Julie Devine, Portrait Study I, 2011

I'm working on my drawing skills this quarter with Geoff Flack. Two years ago, I studied artistic anatomy with Geoff in a week-long workshop, and as a result, my figure rendering skills improved significantly.

Understanding the stuctural planes of the body and paying attention to a figure's linear rhythms have proved incredibly valuable. So I'm back for more  - this time focussing on the head, neck, and shoulders in his portrait drawing class.

Here are two studies from the second and third weeks of the quarter. For each, I used a combination of vine and compressed charcoal. Both are drawn from life.




Julie Devine, Portrait Study II, 2011

 

Mint-Chip Master Studies



Julie Devine, Nude After Uglow, 2011

This fall, I'm taking several classes at Gage Academy of Art, one of which is Foundation Figure Painting  with  Anne Petty.

 

For homework last week, we were asked to make quick, broad temperature studies of two master paintings; one by Euan Uglow, the other by John Dubrow.



For my palette, I chose Burnt Sienna, Prussian Blue, and Lead White, a color combination that has me thinking about mint-chip ice cream.

For these 14" x 11" studies, I used a size 12 hog bristle flat brush.

There is a loose, chunky, expressive quality to these quick studies that I'd like to bring into my larger work.



Julie Devine, Figure After Dubrow, 2011



Creatures

Julie Devine, Creatures, 2011
Oil on canvas, 22" x 24"



 


 

Self Portrait



Julie Devine, Self Portrait, 2011
Oil on panel, 20" x 16"

 I've been working on this self portrait on and off for several weeks. I set up a mirror in my studio to paint myself from observation in natural daylight. The studio has windows on three sides. On a sunny day, diffused warm light comes in through white japanese screens from the south side, while the northern light is always cool.

The challenge in this portrait was to observe and represent the color and value shifts of reflected light, and model form using these shifts instead of relying heavily on chiaroscuro to turn form. The background is largely invented, but I like how it turned out.

Workshop with Jordan Sokol

Last week I had the opportunity to study with Jordan Sokol, a principal instructor from the Florence Acadamy of Art.  In one intensive weeklong workshop, he taught an extraordinary amount of information about classical figure painting. This was my first brush with the sight-size method, which we used to locate proportions and evaluate our paintings in relation to the model from several feet back. I also found a new tool - a black mirror to reduce reflected light and enable an artist to better judge relative values.

I think the biggest learning for me was the emphasis on shadow shapes and half-tone shapes as a way to simply and effectively describe form. The workshop also uncovered my weakspots in judging values and my tendency to narrow forms, giving me much to work on to improve my drawing and painting.

I greatly appreciated the hour-and-a half morning lecture and demo each day. We spent the full week on a single painting. Having this much time with a live model in a single pose was a luxury. Here is my resulting painting.


Julie Devine, Figure Study, 2011
Oil on linen, 27" x 15"