This week, I decided to paint a group of elephants. I found this particularly interesting, as they have been represented in art since prehistoric times. Back then, elephants were commonly difficult to portray by those who did not have much experience with them. Because I had the opportunity, I decided to experiment with these elephants through a color study.

For my color study, I used a green hue. My goal was to select one hue from the color spectrum, and create a contrast (in this case I choose green). In my painting, I  displayed a range of tone as it is very important,( this refers to how dark and light a color is). To create a darker shade of green, I added more blue. For the deepest shadows, I added shade, using black. To brighten the green, I added yellow, and to lighten the green I added a tint(white), displaying a range of greens.

Overall, this experience was well enlightening!

The Painting Process

To start, I primed an 18"X18"canvas using Gesso and a tiny bit of black to give it a very light grey ground. I then waited for it to dry.

I then started a detailed drawing of an African women by first drawing out the image dealing with  the proportion and tonal values.

Next I began blocking in the major darks by mixing black and white until I got the desired tone.(Adding white to black gradually lightens the black). I then began using a slightly small brush for the fine lines such as the eyelids, and locks. This completes the underpainting.

At this stage, I began adding color. Now that the drawing and range of tones have been delivered, I can now focus my attention to color. Starting with the background, I mixed cobalt blue and cadmium yellow with white to get the light green. I then mixed yellow and red with white to get the orange.

In this stage I mixed cobalt blue, red, and white to get purple.

For this step, I mixed orange and cobalt blue to get brown. I then glazed the brown color over the entire face using the paint thinly, allowing some of the black and white underpainting to show through.

For this step, I mixed cobalt blue and vermillion red with white to get a warmer purple. For this particular purple I added a little more red. I then used this purple to glaze over her locks, and the rope around her neck.(Applying the paint thin allows the black and white underpainting to show through and create a very special, luminous purple.)

For the final stage I am painting in the lights only. For the light in the face, I kept the brown that I glazed her face with, and added yellow to lighten it. For the purple in her locks, I added white to lighten it, and worked until I reached a level of satisfaction. I hope you enjoyed this demo, and use the knowledge to better your own work.

For this drawing, I chose to develop my drawing skills by putting tips of academic training together. Some of which I will share with you. The first thing I began to think about, was the composition and placement of the three individual heads combined, their perspective, and how they would relate to each other. Then, I drew them by placing the contour of all three, ignoring the details. Finally, I began the construction process, which included the proportion of the facial features, followed by the tonal harmony.

I highly recommend this video to everyone. It is very true and will change the way you view things.
Beauty is the eye of the beholder!

Emperor Menelik in Black and White

http://troyartist.com


This acrylic painting of Emperor Menelik, is one of my most recent works. I'd like to share a few techniques on how I accomplished the final outcome.

In this painting of Emperor Menelik, my goal was to capture the spirit of the ancient warrior. I started by producing a pencil sketch on canvas of the composition or placement of the head, and then jumped right into the under painting. I chose to keep the under painting as a final result exploring the different values(from lights to middle to darks) while thinking about form.

This approach brings forth a very special, spontaneous effect, giving the piece a sense of life.

One thing that caught my attention while working on this painting, was the fact that drawing is truly the foundation. You should always begin by drawing the subject before applying paint. This way you are working with the composition, proportion, and tonal value first, then you can move on to color. From my experience, It is quite difficult to focus on the proportion value and color at the same time. Therefore, breaking down the process will definitely make things much easier.