Tag Archives: flemish technique

Keyodee Star: The Dead Layer

March 7th, 2010 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

16″x20″
Oil on Oil Primed Linen Canvas on Baltic Birch

1. A detailed drawing
2. “Fixing” the drawing
3. An imprimatura
4. The umber layer
5. The dead layer
6. The color layers
7. The details

In the Flemish painting technique, the final half tone layer is called the dead layer. It’s my understanding that the name is taken from the fact that this layer is made up of shades of gray. A well-done painting at the dead layer phase should look like it’s being viewed by the light of a full moon.

The dead layer can tend warm or cool, but is usually cool. The most common colors used to create the color are Lamp Black, Prussian Blue and Burnt Umber in descending order. Titanium White is used to tint the mixture.

My current favorite dead layer recipe is 1 thumb Lamp Black, 1/2 thumb Prussian Blue, 1 thumbnail Burnt Umber, thoroughly mixed. Titanium White is added during the painting process to create lighter values. (I measure the paint by squeezing it onto the palette parallel to my left thumb. I like this method because I don’t have to spend time looking for a rule or other measuring device.)

A second recipe calls for equal parts of Lamp Black and Prussian Blue with Yellow Ochre ‘to taste’. The mix is tested frequently to get the color I want, then I lighten the mixture with Titanium White. This is a much bluer mix than the first recipe and is closer to the ‘light of the full moon’ ideal.

The color of the dead layer varies depending on the final colors of the painting. I personally like to have a dead layer that’s either neutral to or the compliment of the final overall color of the painting.

Whichever recipe I use, I add Titanium White to the mix before painting begins to keep the darkest values from being too dark.

For Keyodee Star, I used the first recipe.

The first step in the dead layer process is shown above. I painted the interior of the stall first, concentrating on duplicating the look of wood grain and old wood in half tones. The area was prepped with a rubbing of walnut oil, which was applied with my fingers and rubbed throughout the area until it was warm and spread evenly. Excess was removed with a paper towel.

NOTE:

One thing to note at this stage. If a significant amount of color comes up when excess oil is removed, the paint layer is not dry enough. Paper towel shouldn’t lift color at this stage. If it does, the painting needs to be set aside to dry.

Once the area was ready to paint, I applied a flat, even tone to the entire area, then worked back into it with the details. An angle shader was used to suggest wood grain and a sable round was used to paint the seams between each plank. To keep those details in the background, they were dry brushed with a sable flat using very light pressure – almost just a whisper touch – and a vertical stroke.

The last thing for that session was the horizontal cross beam. I used the same order of application and brushstrokes, but worked paint in a horizontal direction.

The following day, I reviewed the work and made a couple of adjustments. Another review the next day and a couple of more minor adjustments and that area was done. The painting was set aside to dry completely before I moved on to the next section.

The dead layer progressed section by section in that fashion. I worked generally background to foreground and left to right in each area.

In order of completion, I did the right side of the outside wall and the stall door, then  the left side of the outside wall. When those two areas were completed, I adjusted them as a whole so the background was working well together.

The painting dried thoroughly between each session and it took about a month to paint the entire background.

At that point, all that remained was painting the horse, which I also did in sections, just as I’d done the background. But since I worked the horse so that each area (neck, ears, face, muzzle, etc.) were painted without waiting for other areas to dry, it took less time to finish the horse. It was still about a week’s worth of work placing the basic tones and major details. When that was finished, I went through the entire horse and adjusted highlights and shadows to create the best possible image.

Most of the subsequent work will be transparent, so it’s important to have everything as close to finished as possible at this phase. There will be no opportunity to ‘cover things up’ without major work if a mistake makes it to the color phase.

So before considering a dead layer complete, I photograph it for client review. If they approve the dead layer, I give the painting a last review. If I see nothing that needs correction or improvement, the painting goes into a three-week drying phase. If the client or I see things that need correction or improvement, I make them at this phase. It’s much easier to make corrections – even major corrections – in a half tone painting than it is to make corrections in the glazing process.

The second image shows the portrait of Keyodee Star at the finished dead layer phase.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Keyodee Star: The Umber Layer

February 28th, 2010 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

16″x20″
Oil on Oil Primed Linen Canvas on Baltic Birch

1. A detailed drawing
2. “Fixing” the drawing
3. An imprimatura
4. The umber layer
5. The dead layer
6. The color layers
7. The details

Here you see the portrait of Keyodee Star at step four, the umber layer.

In the three previous steps, the drawing was developed full size from an 8�10 reference image, the drawing was transferred to the panel (in this case, an oil primed linen canvas on Baltic Birch from Signature Canvas) and fixed so that subsequent paint applications wouldn’t blur the drawing, and the imprimatura was painted.

Technically speaking, the imprimatura is the last phase of surface preparation and is a flat, neutral tone painted over the drawing. The purpose is to tone the surface the appropriate color for whatever the final subject requires. For most horse portraits, the color is a layer of very light-value yellow ochre.

In the umber layer, shown here, the entire composition is roughed in with Burnt Umber and medium of some type (usually walnut oil). Lights and shadows are placed, some details are placed, and the painting begins to take shape.

The purpose at this step is not to paint detail, so I have to be careful and not let myself get into the detail too quickly. Ideally, I try to have the umber layer completed in a single painting session and I either use rags and cloth to apply paint or large brushes. I’m not opposed to using my fingers, either!

There are usually some areas that require a more careful touch and smaller brushes. The eyes, nostrils and, in this portrait, the halter. But I use the largest brush possible for the job and still attempt to avoid painting too much detail.

The finished umber layer is given a week to dry before the portrait moves to the next step. Before work begins, I generally ‘test’ the surface of the paint with a razor blade to make sure it’s dry enough. If paint comes off in a fine powder, it’s ready for the next layer of work. If it flakes or peels, it needs more time. A light touch is all that’s required when the paint film is tested. I have peeled significant amounts of paint before by being too aggressive with the testing and that means that work needs to be redone and we start the drying process over!

That usually makes for a less than happy artist!

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Keyodee Star: The Imprimatura

February 14th, 2010 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

16″x20″
Oil on Oil Primed Linen Canvas on Baltic Birch

1. A detailed drawing
2. “Fixing” the drawing
3. An imprimatura
4. The umber layer
5. The dead layer
6. The color layers
7. The details

This is the painting completed through Step Three, the Imprimatura.

The Imprimatura is actually technically considered the final stage in prepping the surface for painting. It is the toning of the canvas. Most ordinarily, the toning is done before the drawing is transferred or any other work is done. Before adapting the Flemish technique, if I toned a canvas at all, I did it before any other work was done and generally toned several at a time to save time.

But graphite sticks to blank panels and canvas better than to oil paint and those sometimes faint lines are also easier to see on a white surface than on a toned one.

The color used in the imprimatura for this painting is Yellow Ochre straight out of the tube and applied with a brush, then rubbed firmly with a rag, essentially staining the canvas with color rather than actually painting it. Rubbing paint into a surface creates a very thin layer of color that dries more quickly than paint applied in a more traditional fashion.

I have also discovered that a clean rag is an excellent method of moving paint around to create vague lights and darks by ‘accident’. I have, over the course of the last few paintings, gotten quite attached to the ‘random patterns’ that can be achieved with this method.

Besides, it keeps me skimming along at sufficient speed to keep me from getting bogged down in details! At this early stage, that’s a good thing!

It took about ten minutes to apply and distribute the toning layer to this panel. I didn’t use any medium, so the paint dried over night and was ready to go at the next stage the following day.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Keyodee Star: Fixing the Drawing

February 11th, 2010 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

16″x20″
Oil on Oil Primed Linen Canvas on Baltic Birch

1. A detailed drawing
2. “Fixing” the drawing
3. An imprimatura
4. The umber layer
5. The dead layer
6. The color layers
7. The details

Here we are at Step Two of the Flemish Painting technique, fixing the drawing.

The original full sized drawing has been reviewed and approved by the client, with a few minor adjustments made to their specifications.

The drawing is then taped to the panel and, using handmade graphite transfer paper, it is transferred directly to the painting surface.

Because the transferred drawing is in graphite, it is subject to being blurred or removed entirely by the first layer of paint. I don’t want to be forced to reapply the drawing after every layer, so the drawing must be ‘fixed’ or made permanent in some fashion.

On ultra smooth surfaces, brown india ink is perfect. It creates exquisite lines, flows well, can be applied with a brush or nib and, best of all, it dries very quickly.

But this portrait is being painted on a linen canvas surface, so ink is not what I chose to use.

Instead, I used Burnt Umber straight out of the tube and applied with a small sable round. If any medium was used, it was straight Walnut Oil. Generally, I stay away from mediums at that point, however, because they tend to extend the drying time.

The transfer and fixing of the drawing is done in one working session and the painting is then set aside to dry as needed. Burnt Umber is a fast drying color, usually drying overnight, which is why it’s the color of choice when a drawing needs to be fixed with paint. I do sometimes use Raw Umber, too, though only in case of emergency!

In a day or two, this portrait will be ready for the next phase. The Imprimatura.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Keyodee Star: The Drawing

February 8th, 2010 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

There is no greater satisfaction than to see a project advancing sharply through the various stages, with no missteps, miscues or accidents.

Those kinds of projects don’t happen very often in this studio, so I’m always delighted when I encounter one.

There seems to be one on the easel at this very moment. Keyodee Star.

I haven’t shared many images of the painting in progress because it is a portrait and the client needs to see and approve each stage before I’m at liberty to share it publicly (unless, of course, the client agrees beforehand to having their portrait be a blog feature).

The portrait of Keyodee Star is now in the final color stages, though, so I am going to share some of the previous stages.

The portrait is being created with the Flemish technique. The Flemish technique is comprised of seven steps. They are:

  1. A detailed drawing
  2. “Fixing” the drawing
  3. An imprimatura
  4. The umber layer
  5. The dead layer
  6. The color layers
  7. The details

Each layer builds on all of the previous layers and the end result is a painting built step-by-step from opaque under painting to transparent color glazes and opaque detailing.

Each layer is also allowed to dry completely before the painting advances to the next step. Generally, that requires two weeks, but the drying time can be four weeks or more if the colors used are slow drying.

The picture above shows the portrait at the first step. This is the completed drawing.

The drawing was developed at full size (16�20) from an 8�10 enlargement using some of Neal’s engineering rules and lots of calculating. The paper was actually taped to the painting surface and I cropped the original photograph to the appropriate composition before drawing began.

It took about 7-1/2 hours of actual drawing time and countless reviews spread over a week to complete the drawing. It was then presented to the client for review. Once it was approved, the portrait moved to the next phase.

A confession: when I was asked to paint this composition, my first thought was “Look at all that wood! I’ll never get that right!”

What a pleasant surprise it’s been to have the architectural portions of the painting be as enjoyable as the horse itself!

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Keyodee Star: Color Continues

January 27th, 2010 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

Keyodee Star took another step forward today with the next glaze. I worked on the background again, this time on the exterior walls of the stall.

I confess to having hesitated getting to this stage. The first glaze went very well and the overall painting has proceeded so well, that there is the fear that a major screw up is lurking somewhere in the darker recesses of the studio. The theory is that if I don’t work on a painting, I can’t screw it up.

Yesterday and today, I’ve taken myself by the collar, dragged me (almost kicking and screaming!) into the studio, parked me in front of the easels and … painted.

Yesterday was less of a personal struggle than today was. All I had to do yesterday was paint an opaque background on a standard portrait. No big deal. If I did happen to mess up, it would be easy enough to wipe off the mess, oil the panel to remove the last traces, then try again. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, the results were not only satisfactory, but excellent. I still like the work the day after and that’s the real test of success.

With Keyodee Star, though, cleaning up messes isn’t quite as easy. A clean rag and oil will remove fresh paint with very little residue. But there is potential for unwanted staining in transparent glazes. Color choices and application techniques need to be chosen more thoughtfully and paint applied more carefully.

Add to that an unusual shade of light green to mix and there were some significant doubts going into today’s work.

The first job of the day, though, was to oil the panel with walnut oil/alkyd medium, then wipe off the excess with a piece of paper towel.

The colors I chose to mix the initial glaze of green were Viridian Green and Cerulean Blue. The traces of red in the M. Graham Oils Cerulean Blue grayed the Viridian Green just enough to produce a nice, even green.

That color was applied with either an angle Golden Talkon shader or with my fingers. I kept the application thin and transparent and thinned the color layer even more thinly by rubbing it over each section of the background. I didn’t rub the paint layer into a uniform layer, though, instead leaving some areas a little thicker than others to create some variation.

When the outside wall looked right, I worked on the interior wall, this time using only the angle shader brush and applying paint in a more random pattern that left some areas untouched. Green was glazed in the cast shadows with a 20/0 round sable.

I finished work for the day by going back to the angle shader to glaze green into some areas of the mane and forelock.

The portrait will now be allowed to dry completely before the next glaze. It will most likely be a week before the next glaze can be put into place. The good news is that I may be able to do some work on the horse then! Woo-hoo!

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Buckles & Belts, An Update

December 19th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

Today’s 90-minute session began and ended with the blue halter, but also encompassed parts of the bridle, hardware on both and all of the horse to the right of the tack as color work continued.

I didn’t intend to spend a lot of time on this painting today as there were other things I should have been doing and there was half an hour or less of studio time left when I started.

But I popped in a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CD and not only painted all through that (a 58-minute CD), but painted for another hour! Considering the fact that I’d already finished two small landscapes, that made today the best painting day this month.

Work began with the halter, which I painted using Cerulean Blue and Titanium White, with a little green mixture (Prussian Blue and Transparent Red Oxide) in the shadows.

In order to get the edges I wanted, I also painted the parts of the horse adjacent to the halter. The colors used on the horse were Burnt Umber, Transparent Red Oxide, Yellow Ochre, Titanium White and, in the deepest shadow areas, the same green mixture above.

The largest brushes I used today were a couple of old, beat up #2 rounds. Most of the work was completed using 20/0 and 10/0 sable rounds. I can’t say the work was time consuming because I was quite surprised to realize so much time had passed when I finished.

But I can say the work was very satisfactory. The parts I worked on are essentially finished with the exceptions of a few places that will need highlights dropped into them after paint dries. There will also be some repainting in some of the areas as I work edges from the opposite direction.

Click here to see a  step-by-step demonstration of Buckles & Belts.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Dead Layers and Lockkeeper

October 24th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

After warming up on some small landscapes, I got back into the swing of things with portrait work by reviewing the portrait of Lockkeeper.

The portrait is currently in the dead layer phase and was about half finished before we went to Michigan. I had hoped to have the dead layer completed by then, but even using a rapid dry white made with alkyd requires a few days to dry.

The last work was done on October 12, so it was well dried and ready for work on October 22, when I got back to it. I worked on the head, attempting to place lights and darks in a more convincing manner.

That work was completed this evening (October 23). I had to repaint the surrounding background as well, but that allowed me to reshape some of the edges and to make better use of lost edges.

There may still be a bit of tweaking necessary in the next session, but when I stopped work for the day this evening, I was prepared to consider the head done.

On to the neck and beyond!

I’ve seen in my work with Buckles & Belts and Impulsion that it’s to my benefit to do as much detail as possible in the dead layer so the subsequent glazes can truly be transparent with a minimum of opaque passages.

I’ve also seen that it’s very easy to go too dark in the early phases of the painting process and that lightening values later is very difficult.

So the focus of work this time around was developing the details on the horse and lightening the values as necessary, beginning with the eye. I also worked the head and ears.

I am also actively marketing portrait work, so if you would like your favorite horse, dog, cat or other animal companion captured in oils, contact me or visit the Horse Portraits page on this blog. The information on that page applies to all portrait work, regardless of subject.

If you have questions, contact me. I’ll be happy to discuss your ideal portrait with you.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Impulsion, Rethinking the Background

October 8th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

It’s been quite a while since this painting got much attention. It’s not a portrait painting, so it’s on the back burner most of the time.

When I began work again, the first thing I decided to do was lighten the background.

I also decided to use a looser application of paint and try a palette knife. Because the painting is only an 11×14, the knife I used is my small trowel and it worked great.

Over the course of three days, I applied color in a horizontal direction to give the painting an additional sense of movement. The background had been pretty static as well as pretty dark.

It’s not complete, yet, and will not be complete until after the horse is finished. But it has been lightened.

Colors used at this phase are Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Transparent Yellow Oxide, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Manganese Blue and Prussian Blue. Color was primarily mixed on the panel.

I think I’ll probably lighten the background a little more over the horse’s back, but that will have to wait until the painting is dry enough to work on the horse again.

For a complete, step-by-step view of this painting, see Impulsion on the Classcial Paintings web site.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Flemish Technique Update

October 1st, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

I thought I’d share a little bit of what’s been going on in the Classical Paintings blog with my Horse Painter followers.

Back in March, I began learning painting by the Flemish technique as taught by Alexei Antonov. I purchased the e-book of his first video and have been working on a collection of paintings ever since.

As much as I would have enjoyed devoting all my painting time to that project, it has been impossible. Portrait work always takes priority, so lesson paintings wait until I have time between portraits.

Consequently, not very many of them have been completed.

But there have been some successes.

The first painting to be finished is Little Dog: Dolly, (11×14 on panel, shown above) a ministry painting. It was completed in July and delivered in September.

In September, I also finished Joker, a 6×8 on panel. It’s currently in the final drying phase.

Some of you will recognize this image. It was first painted as a colored pencil and was paired with another of the Express Clydesdales horses, Bart.

When I began studying the Flemish technique, I decided to do Joker as an oil just to see how it turned out.

I like both versions, but I think the colored pencil is my favorite.

Joker was the first painting I started with the Flemish technique. It is the first non-portrait painting to be completed using that technique. The strong light and shadow on the horse and the choice of a dark background made this painting a study of light as well as a study of a Clydesdale.

The portraits I’m working on are also being painted with the Flemish technique and the first of them to be completed was Guienne Hanover, a 2007 MHHA auction purchase (22×28 on panel). Guienne Hanover is the largest portrait I’ve painted in many years and is also the most complicated. I am quite pleased with the results and was very happy to be able to deliver it in person over the Labor Day weekend.

Two other portraits are currently in progress, both of them drying as I write these words. One is just getting under way. The other is drying at the umber layer phase.

Of the lesson paintings currently under way, my favorite is Buckles & Belts (6×8 oil on panel). Like the rest of the lesson paintings, it includes a horse, but the horse is the background. The focus of the composition is the combination of buckles, straps and shadows where a bridle and halter meet. It is the most unusual composition I’ve ever attempted, but also the most interesting.

The dead layer was recently completed and the painting was moved into the drying area. I’m looking forward to the final stages, which involve the layering of color glazes over the under painting.

Several of the lesson paintings are being documented on the Classical Paintings blog. Click on The Paintings link at the top of the page to reach the index page, then click on each of the listings to see how the paintings have progressed.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Studio News Since Our Last Visit

July 18th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

Now that this blog is up and running again, I would like to share some of the events that have taken place since this past April. The idleness of this blog has not at all been reflected in the real life in the Lewis household!

In the Studio

Studio time has been divided between the lesson paintings in the Flemish technique and portrait work.

Two Michigan Standardbred portraits are either recently finished (Guienne Hanover) or in progress (Lockkeeper) and another is awaiting client decisions on subject and reference materials. A small dog portrait is also in progress and talks on a dog and cat portrait recently began.

There are currently twelve paintings in various stages of progress with the Flemish technique. Nine of them are documented through dedicated work-in-progress pages, including Afternoon Graze, shown here.

Detailed information on these paintings is available at my Classical Paintings blog. Each painting has a dedicated, step-by-step page describing the trials and successes of learning a new technique. Just click on the link for your favorite painting in the page titled, The Paintings.

Another artist and I spent eight hours in the Flint Hills on July 4, photographing landscapes, plants, animals and skies as the sun came up. We are both working on paintings based on that trip.

Shows & Exhibits

Shows for the spring and summer have been limited to participation at the Carriage Factory Art Gallery and even that has been limited by production and time constraints.

One painting, the finished portrait of Guienne Hanover, is at the gallery for July and August, but other than a binder of ACEO landscapes, that is the extent of my exhibit time. There have been so many other things going on that finding time to paint, let alone exhibit, has been a serious challenge! With the gallery’s biggest annual event now behind me, I am looking forward to having more time to paint.

At the Gallery

Speaking of the Carriage Factory Art Gallery….

On July 11, we celebrated our biggest annual event on the calendar, the Celebration of Sound & Color. This year’s event marked a milestone: Number Five! It doesn’t seem possible that I’ve been director at the gallery for five years, but that’s what all the calendars say.

The web site has also been redesigned, the exhibit cycles shortened from three months to two and many other changes in both exhibits and programs. It has been a busy time.

And now that I’m finished with the major summer event, I can turn my attention to the winter events!

On the Writing Desk

Writing has gone very well. Setting monthly goals has been a good way to spur literary creativity and that has translated into increased creativity at the easel, too.

In May, I decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month, which encourages writers to write a 50,000 word, 175-page novel in November. This will be the first time for me, so I wanted to see how much time it would take to produce that many words in a coherent fashion. So in June, I set myself the goal of writing 1,000 words a day every day but Sunday for a total of 26,000 words. As if that weren’t enough, I also decided to finish a novel that had been started in 1996. That personal challenge did so well (novel finished, an average of 2,355 words per writing day, total production of 61,225 words) that I decided to up the ante a little bit for July and rewrite a novel that has been finished four or five times but is still not at the level I want it to be. So far, that’s proving to be a bit more of a challenge!

If you would like to read more about this part of my creative life, I invite you to check out Word Journeys: A Writing Blog.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Thoughts on Color

June 4th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

One thing I’ve been able to do over the last two weeks is think.

And one of the things I’ve thought about is beginning color work in the Flemish technique.

The work I’ve done so far on umber layers and dead layers has been, for the most part, interesting. But some of it has also felt suspiciously like wading upstream against a current that wants to do something else.

Part of the current is the desire to work in color on something other than a portrait. Another part is to see some real detail. Yet another part is to see something finished! Anything!

With the beginning of a new week and returning health, I’ve been looking at the lesson paintings that are either ready or nearly ready for color and planning my next steps. Some interesting ideas have come to the fore during those (physically) idle moments that may make the process more streamlined in the long run.

One of them is the treatment of backgrounds.

As I write this post, three paintings that are past the three-week drying period in the dead layer. They are Contemplation, Joker and Afternoon Graze. Of the three, only one (Afternoon Graze), has a full background. The other two are tonal.

Of those two, one of the horses is going to be black and it was that realization that led me in the direction of thinking about color and backgrounds.

Someone at the Sunflower Arab Show in April commented that the dark umber backgrounds looked like wood and that the paintings had the look of being painted on wood. I thought at the time that it would be very interesting to develop a painting that way intentionally.

The thought that arose with Joker was to leave the background in the dead layer stage and only ‘color’ the horse. What if the horse was fully developed in color and the background was left alone? What would be the end result?

I can already see that the portrait of Joker could be completely finished fairly easily because of the color of the subject. It wouldn’t take much color to give the entire painting the look of full color.

Likewise, the horse in Contemplation is a fictional horse and can be any color I want him to be. That means I can build him out of the background almost as easily as what I could do with Joker. Just chose the first color and get started.

Those two may be good projects for getting back into some kind of painting rhythm, but there is a certain amount of appeal to starting with a landscape, too. A good deal of thought and anticipation has been devoted to painting the sky and land in Afternoon Graze, too.

So who knows where I’ll begin. Suffice it to say that the first three projects present some interesting and unique possibilities for beginning the color work in the Flemish technique.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Where’s the Color??

May 23rd, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

A friend wrote the other day. She said she’d been following this blog, but that all she’d been seeing was the dead layer. When was I going to post some color, she wanted to know.

I had to chuckle at that. I am having a lot of fun and learning a lot painting in halftones, but I, too, have been feeling the tug of color for some weeks. Were it not for the portrait of Guienne Hanover, which I am working in color in the old method, I would probably have already jumped the gun and started putting color on something.

But patience is probably the most important ingredient in the Flemish technique. It is no more critical at any time than when getting started.

The technique is great for working multiple paintings at once. The artist whose workshop I am following generally has enough paintings going so that even though paintings dry for two, three or more weeks, he always has something to work on. He can move from one to the next and not be delayed the least bit by drying times. It’s all worked into the schedule.

He also has paintings at every stage of the process. An umber layer to work on, followed by a dead layer and maybe a couple with color.

I’m not there, yet. I do have a dozen paintings in progress, but since they were all started at about the same time, that means they are all at about the same stage.

But they have begun sorting themselves out to some degree. Contemplation is nearly ready for the color stage — the first one to reach color.

Afternoon Graze and Joker will also soon be ready for color and Blue Cooler and That Darn Itch will soon be completed at the dead layer.

In the meantime, Impulsion and Buckles & Belts are ready to begin the dead layer on and I am finishing the umber layer on Rose and beginning the umber layer on Lockkeeper, the newest portrait. The ministry portrait of the Little Dog has also just passed the minimum three-week drying time at the umber layer phase, so I can start thinking about the dead layer for it.

Another six images are on the drawing board in various stages, either waiting for supports or waiting for development, so I am very quickly approaching that point at which I will have something to work on at every stage of the process and should, therefore, never find myself with nothing to work on!

In the meantime, I have set up a page for each painting, featuring most of the notes from individual blogs as well as additional notes. You can take a look at the front page by clicking here or by clicking on the tab labeled “The Paintings” at the top of the page. Just click on the title of each painting to follow its progress.

And I promise, Lord willing and if the creeks don’t rise, there will soon be color notes to post! Honest!

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Friday Guest Artist ~ Carrie Lewis

April 10th, 2009 | Posted in Linda Shantz

I know I said Monday was guest blogger day, but I lined up five guests for the month, knowing there would likely be a day that I was grateful for doing so. Today is that day! Carrie Lewis is another friend and EAG member with whom I have a lot in common. Though we’ve yet to meet, we’ve known each other for years, and I’ve no doubt one day we will meet! Please be sure to visit Carrie’s website. There, in addition to galleries of her equine and landscape paintings, you’ll find links to her blogs. Not only does Carrie paint, she also writes.

Carrie is working in oil, in a style that is quite similar to how I paint in oils. I’ll let her explain! Thanks, Carrie!
“Buckles and Belts”
A Work in Progress using The Flemish Technique

by Carrie Lewis


Buckles & Belts (above, with reference photo at top) is the first ’still life’ I am attempting using the Flemish painting technique. The focus is the combination of buckles, straps and shadows where a bridle and halter meet. The horse was a pony horse I photographed years ago at Mt. Pleasant Meadows in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. It is 6×8 inches in size and is on prepped 1/4-inch masonite panel. The panel was prepped with half acrylic modeling paste and half acrylic gesso applied with a large confectioner’s knife and spread over the panel until it became too stiff to work with. After it had dried, each layer was scraped with a razor blade and the result was a surface that has the texture of an egg shell and is almost as smooth.

#1
Once the drawing is worked out in detail, it is transferred to the panel with graphite. Drawings are transferred to the painting surface using graphite, but the first layer of paint will completely wash away graphite. To preserve the drawing, it is redrawn in ink.

#2
With this painting technique, the imprimatura stage is not the first painting stage. It’s the final prep stage. The painting surface is being toned in preparation for painting, but it is toned after the drawing is in place instead of before.

I used two base colors for this layer: Lamp Black and Yellow Ochre. Prussian Blue can be added to create a cooler imprimatura layer and white can be added to create a lighter value imprimatura.

The imprimatura is usually applied thinned with painting medium of 2 parts solvent to 1 part walnut oil (I exclusively use M. Graham Oils ground with walnut oil). With this painting, however, I rubbed the imprimatura layer onto the panel and smoothed out the color with a clean cloth and using no medium.

The drawing can be transferred, inked in and brought to the finished imprimatura stage in the same day. Fast out of the gate! That’s what I like!

#3
One Week Later….

The Umber Layer is only the first step in the actual painting process and to date, all of the paintings I have in progress have required more than one day to complete this stage. Buckles & Belts is no different.

At this stage, I have used painting medium (2 parts solvent and 1 part walnut oil) to create a wash using only Burnt Umber. The idea is to use oil paints like watercolor and to apply the first layer of color in confident strokes. I’m afraid I’m not as confident as I should be, but this is both a new technique and a unique subject, so I proceeded more carefully.

All of the darker shadows were blocked in along with some of the shadows in the lighter range.

#4
The Next Day….
A little bit more work. I have been putting in 30 minutes or less each day on this piece, gradually developing values as much as possible, then setting the painting aside to dry over night. The paint is about the same consistency each day and about the same value (darkness). The darker darks you see here simply have more layers than the lighter darks.

#5
This is the finished Umber Layer. It took three sessions spread over the space of about five days to complete this work. I am very happy with this painting in spite of the complex design and the non-traditional subject treatment.

The painting will no dry for at least two weeks and probably closer to three. I will check it at the two week mark, which will be April 13, but so far, the paintings I’ve checked at two weeks have not been ready, so it will probably be April 20 before I get back to this one.

The next step will be the dead layer, the results of which give paintings the look of being seen in the light of a full moon. I’m looking forward to this stage with much anticipation.

©Copyright 2009 by Linda Shantz. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Contemplation: First Umber Layer

March 13th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

Contemplation
11×14 on Masonite

On March 5, I took Contemplation off the drying shelf and started work on the First Umber layer.

Before painting began, the surface was very lightly scraped with a razor blade to remove hairs, dust and dirt that accumulated during the drying process. [...More]

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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The Problem with Manes & Tails

March 10th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

Last week, I advanced into the First Umber Layer with one of the lesson paintings and almost immediately discovered a problem. What to do with long manes and tails in this technique…?

When painting most subjects with the Flemish Technique, the subjects are drawn on the painting surface, then the painting follows that drawing. It is the pattern upon which all subsequent work is based.

For the most part, that is not a problem with equine subjects.

But it is a problem with manes and tails. It’s impossible to paint around each hair group and I was frustrated with figuring out how to handle this problem and stay true to the technique. [...More]

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Changes in Direction … Slightly

February 22nd, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

Most of my good horse painting friends and my non-painting friends are going to be quite surprised to see the collection of work I’m hoping to put together as lesson work.

This lovely rose is scheduled as one of the first subjects, for example. I can’t remember ever having painted a floral of any kind before, but the idea of not painting something full of color with the Flemish painting technique lessons is more than I could tolerate.

What’s more, I’m thinking about trying my hand at some still life compositions, as well, and not all of them are equine themed.

Part of me is wondering what I’m thinking.

Part of me can’t wait to get started!

I’m not giving up on the horse paintings, though. Far from it!

One portrait and one large painting are still on the easel. I need to do an update on the painting because it has taken an abrupt detour. A landscape themed exhibit is coming up at the gallery and I wanted a new painting to enter, so I’m finishing this 24�30 piece as a straight-forward landscape with the hopes of getting it done in time for the new exhibit.

And the portrait of Guienne Hanover is plugging along, as well. I’ve just been so caught up in trying out new tools and supplies and prepping panels with gesso and modeling paste that it has taken up most of my studio time.

And there are half a dozen horse paintings of various types lined up for use as lesson paintings, so there will be lots of those, too. Plenty to keep me busy.

As always, thanks for reading and best wishes.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie L. Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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Classical Painting Blog

February 19th, 2009 | Posted in Carrie Lewis

On Tuesday, February 17, I launched a new blog.

Classical Paintings will focus on the work I will be doing with the Flemish painting technique. It will feature news and updates on the trials and errors of learning something new.

It will also feature gallery pages to showcase paintings as they are finished.

It will also be very highly focused and probably will not cover other studio news unless it relates directly to that technique and the paintings that result from it. That sort of news and information will be available on the Horse Painter blog, as always.

I hope you’ll swing by and take a look at the new blog. I’m very pleased with the concept, as well as the overall look. I certainly learned some new coding techniques in setting it up.

One other thing I want to do is set up RSS between the blogs so readers will know when there are posts. Since launching the writing blog, I have been posting three days a week to the writing blog and three days a week to the art blog. Having RSS on each one will be especially helpful with a third blog.

Whichever one you follow, I hope you enjoy them.

As always, thanks for reading and best wishes.

©Copyright 2009 by Carrie L. Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit her website.

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