Mystery Portrait- Finished

I have finished the "Mystery Portrait!"  I cannot reveal the identity for another two weeks because I'm giving the painting to someone as a surprise.

Mystery Portrait-Subtle Changes

I've tweaked him here and there in very subtle ways.  I'm not sure you if you can tell a difference, but I think it's finished.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 10

In these very last stages the changes are almost imperceptible.  Some of the changes, I would venture to say, are almost on a microscopic level.  I'm applying very subtle glazes with a fat medium.  The biggest change would be on the background; I've broken up the monotony somewhat.  I had an idea as to how this was going to look early on, and it's getting close. Stages from here on out will be minuscule.  I've also signed my name. 

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 9

I continue to refine details, and cool warm areas down, so he doesn't look so orange.  I used naples yellow light, and payne's grey.  The suit needs work.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 8

I've refined shadows with a mixture of raw umber, cadmium red scarlet.  I glazed a mixture of ivory black and titanium white onto background and onto his suit to neutralize the crazy blue.  I added titanium white mixed with a small amount of ivory black to get a nice light cool color for highlights.  I also refined his pupils and highlights in hair with the same color.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 7

I glazed another mixture of raw sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, and titanium white over the entire face.  I then applied yellow ochre onto forehead, vermilion red onto face and ultramarine blue onto neck.  This is the old master's trick called color banding.  I blended these colors well.  I then added Naples Yellow Deep into highlights, blended and then I broke out the Naples Yellow Light and blended into highlights.  

I glazed blues, and yellows into the background.  It's a little too light at this stage, I'd like to tone it down a bit and make it more interesting, but I'm not sure how.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 6

Whew!  A big change from stage 5.  I feel like I was able to salvage what I messed up last night.  Although this painting looks close to completion, there's still much work to do.  The old master's way of painting, aka, glazing, aka, indirect painting, is a series of back and forths.  Dark to light to dark to light...each layer building luminosity.  

I plan to do something different with the background.  At this point it looks very 80's ish.  Max Headroom like.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 5

A drastic turn of events this evening!  I applied the stage 4 color just as I arrived home from work.  After dinner I examined the picture and it felt dry to the touch.  So my impatience kicked in, in a bad way!  I began to re-establish shadows with a bit raw umber, (very dark brown).  As I began to put the paint on the canvas, I noticed it wasn't blending well.  I got out a bigger/softer brush and tried to blend it...no luck!  The previous layer began to come off!  His face looked like it had a disease.  So, I got my big brush out soaked in turpentine and completely removed the work I had done earlier, (before dinner).  I was so upset, I could have punched my fist through the canvas!  Really, I was tempted!  So rather than go back over his face again with the brownish color, I had to go with that pinkish paint from yesterday, (I'm doing the one step up and two steps back technique).  I'm not going to do anything more until this painting is good and dry!  I also re-glazed the background with a bright red, and I scumbled titanium white onto his suit.  This technique is not for the impatient.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 4

I've glazed a mixture of burnt umber, raw umber, raw sienna and titanium white over the surface of his face.  I wiped out highlights with a dry brush.  I also glazed a layer of burnt sienna over the previously teal colored background and his suit as well.  It's now a ginchy grey.  I believe his flesh is looking a little more realistic. 

Mystery Portrait- Color Stage 3 (cont.)

I'm like THE most impatient person in the world!  I could not resist, I went back and re-stablished some of the shadows.  Now he needs a suntan.  I've got one the tube, it's called Burnt Umber.  But first he's gotta' dry.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 3

I glazed a mixture of flake white (that dangerous lead filled stuff), and vermilion over the green shadows and bright red highlights.  He looks a bit pasty right now, but hopefully I can fix it.  I plan to to establish shadows the next go around and bring him back into 3-D.  I also glazed Prussian blue, (powerful stuff) and Titanium white over the background and his suit.  I mixed a little van dyke brown with the vermilion red and glazed his hair.  At this point, I frankly don't know how this going to turn out.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 2

I'm experimenting quite a bit with this painting, as well as keeping my fingers crossed too! It looks a little strange, but there is a reason for this stage. Classical painters called this "putting in the apple." I've applied vermillion red on cheeks, nose, chin and ear.  I also glazed viridian, (green) onto shadows and other parts of the face.  I hope to "tie" these colors together by subtle fleshtones on my next application.  The red under the surface will give the appearance of blood under the flesh.  I've also glazed vermillion red onto background and cadmium yellow onto suit and hair.  I haven't worked on his eyes yet.  I'll save them for later.

Mystery Portrait-Color Stage 1

Don't get excited!  I'm not going Andy Worhal.  I have applied my first bit of color to this mystery gentleman.  I painted raw sienna onto his face and wiped out the highlights with a brush damped with turpentine.  I then smoothed it back out with a really soft sable brush.  I also glazed vermillion red onto his jacket and tie.  If you remember the underpainting had a greenish tint, (verdaccio), so when I glazed the complimentary ( or opposite color of the spectrum), it nutralized that green and turned it grey.  The dramatic yellow background will soon be covered.  I chose such a brilliant color because it's very reflective.  When light travels through those additional layers and bounces off the yellow, even the black areas will sparkle!  I'm hoping it will be ginchy!

Mystery Portrait-Verdaccio Stage 2

I have repainted the mystery man.  Although you may not be able to tell it, he has been completely recovered with paint. If you look closely, you may still see a bit of the ink pen showing through beneath the paint.  I like the look!  It's almost as though we're can see deep veins under his skin! The reason you see marks is because I have used quite a bit of Flake white, which unlike Titanium White is very transparent.  It's also got a bunch of warnings, (cancer, etc) due to the extremely high content of lead.  I'm surprised they sell it over the counter!  

After this dries, I'll begin to add colour.

Mystery Portrait-Verdaccio Stage 1

It's experiment time again.  This is not the Incredible Hulk. I've painted this underpainting with a green tint, (Verdaccio) because I read somewhere if you do this, it tends to help with a more realistic flesh color when the glazing begins.  This is a handy bit of knowledge when painting portraits.   My previous underpaintings, (also known as the dead layer), were more blueish grey, (grisaille... pronounced griz-aye).  My goal is to refine the underpainting to the level of photorealism before I begin to add color.

I've also included a couple pictures of my palette and work area.  Before I begin this painting, I pre-mixed 7 values ranging from light to dark.  My colors were, Ivory Black, Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, Burt Umber and to get my white I mixed Titanium White with Flake white in equal measures.  I always have a cup of coffee and music going when I paint.  

Mystery Portrait-Umber Stage 1

The picture has moved from a two, to a three-dimensional appearance. This happens simply by painting the shapes of the shadows. That is not a scar below his left eye. My drawing was a little off in some places, so I had to fix it. The "fleshy" colored areas are where I glazed on the Burnt Umber paint too thickly and I had to wipe out with turpentine. Each stage is a only a map to get to the next stage. I correct problems as I go; Refining with each step. The early stages are essential for getting values, (light and darks) right. A brilliant person once said, "I don't paint things, I paint the effect light has on things. " I've found this to be true.

My opinion is that the grisaille, or the dead layer is the most important point in the process. This umber stage is a only a step to help that stage look more realistic.

I hope to paint one more stage in Burnt Umber, (a dark brown oil paint) in order to refine a few details and I'll be ready to paint the Dead Layer.

No guesses yet as to who this may be...?

"Mystery Portrait"-Imprimatura Stage

I'm making this one a "mystery" portrait. Betcha' can't guess who it is???

I primed canvas with gesso, (that's white acrylic paint), and sanded with 150 grit sandpaper between coats.  When I finished the weave of the canvas was almost completely obsolete  I had a texture that looked and felt very much like an eggshell.  

I drew the figure with a standard ball point/ink-jell pen, (love um'!).  I then primed the canvas with my first layer of oil, heavily diluted with turpentine. The smell is heavy in the room as I type this.  The tone or value of the canvas supposed to be equivalent to a brown paper bag.  I think I'm close on this one.

Next stage...Burnt Umber, (this is my favorite part because the figure takes on a three-dimensional appearance.  Good stuff!