Starting a new painting

After a 6-week hiatus (for vacation, work, and the walking event), I returned to painting today!

I know I say this every time I go, but I forgot how much I enjoy painting. It brings me so much joy.

This painting is entirely different from any I've done so far. It's based off a photograph of my friend Alisa's daughter. She posted this photo on Facebook months ago, and I just thought it was so beautiful, and that the composition was so good. I asked her if I could have her permission to paint it (or, attempt to paint it) and got her approval.

I've painting only a few times by photograph, and it's been something like 18 years. It's quite different from painting from a model, or a still life. The challenge is to make it look like it is *not* from a photograph. Paintings from photos can have the tendency to be flat and lifeless. Somehow, I've got to try to think of the photo as a model, and try to stay more "free" with it, and not get bogged down in the details that you might see in a photograph.

The canvas is 20" x 20", which I'm loving. I've always really enjoyed painting larger, so this just feels good. Dean pointed out to me that it's roughly the same size that I've been drawing figures in my figure-drawing sessions, so it feels very natural to me.

We started by staining the canvas with a neutral gray, just to warm it up, and make it less stark. This was especially helpful, since this painting would eventually have so much white in it.

We also drew a grid on it, so I could map out the figure easily. It's amazing how much this helps. I printing out to large photos of the photograph (at Costco!) - one with the grid, which I added in Photoshop, and one without. I mapped it out in pencil very quickly, and was able to start painting. I think my figure drawing sessions are paying off. :) You can see the two photographs in the photo below.

I think I painting for a couple of hours today, and I'm pleased with the direction it's going so far. I only used two colors so far - just to get the basics down. I used burnt umber and titanium white.

I'm very interested in seeing how this painting progresses over the next few weeks.

Stay tuned! :)