A Very Productive Saturday!

For the first time in a long time, I had a free Saturday.  I must have painted for about 8 hours overall (not without interruption, of course). 

I feel like I've spent a lot of time in the first two panels - especially because there were so many complicated issues on the tractor, the figure in the tractor, and the plow that hadn't been resolved.  However, there are a lot of details on these panels that I have yet to do, and they won't happen until the very end.  One of the last things I'll have to do is to get some of these panels exactly side by side with no gaps to make sure things line up. But, for now, I just measure where I can and "eyeball" it when I can't.

I started today by working on the pumpkins again, adjusting some of the shadows and highlights a little.  Then, I moved on to the wave of soil - a larger area of color to troubleshoot and blend.  Once you start working on an area like that, you don't want to stop - gotta keep blending before the paint dries.  And, working on this part took me back into panel #3 again.

Then, I moved on to the cauliflower.  I didn't like the highlight color I had used for the vegetable's leaves in the first layer - too blue.  So, I mixed a bit more yellow in and that worked better.  I also worked on the cauliflower itself, stippling with and a light purple for shading.  There's still detailing to be done or adjusted there.

The last thing I did was to "plant some crops" in the far field.  That took a little extra time because I tried a few different greens before I found something I liked.

I love seeing how everything is starting to build, little by little.

Plowing Away...

I realized yesterday as I was working on the tractor and plow that I really didn't have a firm grasp of the plow-thingy.  I couldn't locate the photo I'd originally referenced and all I had to look at was a crude sketch in ye olde sketchbook.  My drawing experience is limited when it comes to mechanical things (and not high on my list of popular subject matter).  The more I worked on it, the more uncomfortable I became - I was just "wingin' it."

So, I scoured the internet for a good plow photo only to discover that good plow photos are hard to find.  Who knew?  I finally found something to work from - a photo of a toy model John Deere tractor and plow.  Of course, it was the wrong orientation and viewpoint, but I could work with that.

This evening, my one painting mission was to solve the plow problem and, at least, get it off to a good start (or restart).  After 2 1/2 hours (time really flies when I'm painting), I'm happy with the change.  I feel like it is a major hurdle that I've overcome.  At least I have a plow that is grounded in reality.

More details to be defined...

And now, I can move on to more "fun" stuff to paint!

On the Farm...

The latest changes have been challenging - working on the tractor details.  There was a lot left undone on this panel and there's still a ways to go.  But, I'm off to a good start (if I do say so myself).

The other night, I worked on the driver for quite a while - trying to get the scale right and the appearance of a figure within a glass enclosure.  The struggle here was that I don't have a visual to work from - no photo to check my details.  But, I like the way it's turning out so far...after a few "not" likes.

One thing that I couldn't wait to change was the plowed soil in the foreground.  I had originally put in more precise rows, but I didn't care for the rigidity of it. When I did the tractor study and was a bit more carefree about the landscape, I liked the loose brush strokes and wanted to go more in that direction.  I think the result is in between - there are still rows, but the edges are less defined.

Forecast: Patchy Clouds and Blue Skies

Let the fun begin!

This is the "before"

This evening I thought I'd go back to the first panel, the first place I started over a month and a half ago - the sky.


The "after"

The first layer was just Cerulean Blue and white.  Going back through it, I am using the original mixtures plus an added mixture of the Cerulean and Ultramarine Blue which takes it a step deeper and darker = more contrast.  I work with 3 mixtures at the same time - dark, medium, and light. 

I kind of thought I'd get through more panels this evening, but I only made it through the first two.  But, this is my favorite part - I've got the basic color layer down, and now I can build and fine tune (OK, one of my favorite parts).

I also completed the tractor study.

Time to Get Out of the Kitchen

A few days off with lots of Mother's Day sleep!  Just what the doctor ordered.  I've had a lot of other things to think about lately with lots of end-of-year parties for all of our homeschooling co-ops and collaborations.  That, and trying to get some things in order for next fall (yes NEXT fall - gotta catch everyone before summer hits).

Anyway, last time I hinted at another intended change to the chef panel.  Can you guess what it is?

More veggies?  Nope.  Kitchen clutter on the back counter?  Nope.  I decided to frame the panel with a matching column on the right (not in the original plan).  Did you figure it out?   Now, see if you can find Waldo...

Just kidding. 

But, I do think this is my last evening working on panel #5 for a little while.  As we all know, one can only work with vegetables so long before it gets a little tiresome.  Luckily, I've got 4 other panels I can revisit. 

I've worked out most of the kinks in the kitchen and now I'm ready to start going back through the mural to build layers, values, details, fill in the unfinished, etc.  First, however, it's time for another study - since I'm headed back to the farm, I need to work out some details of the tractor that I haven't yet filled in.

Who's that lurking in the background...it isn't Waldo.