The Art of Tempera Painting 2

In a previous blog (25th August) I talked a little about tempera painting. It is a  technique which stretches back to the Ancient worlds of Babylonia, Assyria, Egypt, Greece and Rome. One has only to think of Herculaneum or Pompeii, or the marvellous churches of the Byzantine era. Moving forward in time to Italy, we see it flourishing in the hands of artists such as Giotto, Massaccio and of course, Michelangelo. With the advent of oil painting in the 16th century tempera painting fairly rapidly was eclipsed. Not until the 20th century was it revived by artists such as Orozco and Rivera in Mexico and Ben Shan and Andrew Wyeth in the U.S.A.

Technically, it is a medium which is much more difficult to hande than oils. Originally, the painting was done directly on to wet plaster (true fresco) though frequently was retouched when dry (fresco secco). The craftsmanship and discipline required in the mixing of the pigments and preparation of the surfaces to be worked on  is highly demanding.

A brief recipe will demonstrate that it is not a process which can be rushed.

Soak a yoghurt potful of rabbitskin glue in 2pints of water for 24 hours. Heat this in a double boiler and stir in 64 tablespoons of whiting. Let it absorb and leave overnight.

To prepare the panels ( e.g.M.D.F.) size with a weak gesso. (4-8 layers) Both sides of the panel have to be painted to avoid warping. With each successive coat change the direction of the brushstrokes. After this leave for a fortnight to season.

To smooth the boards, a cabinet scraper should be used. Dust charcoal on to show any raised portions which can then be polished with a linen cloth dipped in ionized water.

Pigments now have to be ground using distilled water and a muller (in a figure of eight motion.) When smooth,  the colours should be placed in a small jar and covered with a layer of distilled water. When the time for painting comes, egg yolk is the binding medium. Use a fresh, free range egg. Separate the yolk from the white. This yolk is squeezed into a reservoir on the palette . An equal volume of pigment and egg are mixed together , adding distilled water as necessary.

In my brief foray into tempera painting , I choose a couple of portraits by Andrew Wyeth to copy. These are incomplete , but they will demonstrate some techniques and the effects that can be achieved.

It is a slow and methodical process building up successive layers with tiny strokes. It has to be done in this way as the pigment dries instantly so the smooth blending of an oil cannot be achieved. A close up should demonstrate  the technique.

As I said these studies were unfinished and would have taken hours more work to achieve the finish require, despite the fact they are only about 5 inches high.

Tempera is most definitely a lovely medium for those with patience and a love of craftsmanship.

The art of tempera painting

I briefly mentioned tempera painting in a previous blog. The technique pre-dated oil painting and requires a slow and painstaking  approach. I have done very few paintings in it but feel it is very worthy of further consideration and practice. Below is a portrait I did of my mother using this technique. The original painting measures only 5″ x 4″.

In a later blog,  I will discuss both the history and techniques of tempera painting.

Painting at Pin Mill 3

In my previous two blogs, I demonstrated en plein air landscape painting in gouache. Both were paintings of Pin Mill, a lovely spot on the Suffolk coast. Unfortunately, I was unable to complete either painting in one session due to weather and tide. I have since returned as well as doing more work in the studio. One of the paintings is now finished.

I have already shown the beginning and intermediate stages of the paintings, so I won’t dwell on lengthy explanations. ( For those see previous blogs)

The beginning of the painting.

Intermediate stage of the gouache painting.

The finished painting.

As you will see, all areas have been worked on. The sky has been softened and blended. The distant shore has had more detail added. Small yachts have been introduced. The bulk of the work has been done on the hulks, scumbling to achieve the texture of the timbers or rust then working with a fine sable brush on top when more precision was required. Masts have been altered and rigging added. With large hog’s hair brushes, I painted the foreground fairly freely, and on occasions even employed a palette knife.

As I have said in previous blogs, gouache is a wonderful medium for working out of doors. It dries instantly, but remains water soluble. It is opaque and is therefore very forgiving. Any mistakes can be instantly obliterated. It has a lovely chalky quality about it , ideal for atmospheric effects. Its disadvantages? You can’t glaze with it and blending is difficult. A technique akin to tempera has to be adopted. But overall, its good points far outweigh such difficulties.

Painting a Colourful Portrait in oils 3

Today was my third portrait sitting with Judy. Prior to it I had spent a lot of time painting her costume as well as considering what to do with the background.

As can be seen if you compare this with my previous blog, I have begun to paint her headdress and necklace in much greater detail. Each particular section (e.g. orange) I painted in a slightly darker tone . With a fine sable, I then outlined the rows of beads . Then it was time to apply a mid tone , before flicking in little pinpoints of light.  My original dark tone acts as the shadow area between the beads. All that remains, when this is dry, is to  indicate individual shadows on the beads. The triangular metal piece on her head dress (which indicates she is a married woman) still requires some light, shade and reflection to be added. The white strings are simply blocked in at the moment and also need a bit more definition and shadow.

A close up detail of her necklace illustrating the technique described above.

I have also been working on other areas of the costume, and blocking in the large patterns. It is indeed time consuming but there is no way it can be rushed. With her cloak, I am beginning to suggest the folds and creases. These will have to be completed before I superimpose patterns of little black dots.

I have also added at this stage a very colourful bangle and belt.

During our sitting today, I focused on her face, looking at the cool bluish reflection on the left, trying to correct the modelling in her neck, chin and around her mouth. The hair had to be adjusted also.

The background I have also started. Initially, I thought of a bold bright colour like pale blue. But i have now decided to apply gold instead, with all its connotations. The photograph, however,  does not convey the richness of it.

This is how the portrait now looks at the end of the third sitting.

Keep watching my blog to see how the painting develops and how it looks when completed.

Watercolour portraits

To attempt portraits in watercolour is not for the faint hearted! Watercolour is a notoriously difficult medium to work in, and is, in comparison to other media, fairly unforgiving. Whatever technique one is using, whether it be wet into wet or a more considered approach, careful planning is required if your painting is to be a success.

The above sketch was done in about one hour using a wet into wet technique. No preliminary drawing was done. Although initially it looked chaotic to the group I was demonstrating to, I was, even at the earliest stage, planning and allowing for my highlights to be preserved. If things go wrong there is still the possibility of lifting out with a sponge or tissue.

The same approach was used in this sketch. Having established the position of the features I started to build up the depth of tone. At various points I dried the painting and went in with a dry brush technique, as in the eyes.

The above was a preliminary sketch I did for a more finished portrait. Again this was completed in less than an hour.

“Mary.”     A portrait in watercolours.

This more finished portrait took considerably longer, requiring as it did layer upon layer of transparent glazes to achieve the detail I wanted.

I find watercolour the most amazing medium and one which offers a luminosity and delicacy unrivalled by others.

In a later blog I will demonstrate a watercolour portrait from start to finish and will describe the materials, techniques and colour mixes I use.

John Glover’s Open Studio

For the last three weekends, my studio has been open to the public as part of Suffolk Open Studios. It was a busy but fascinating time.

I had lots of visitors, from friends to students, to others who had either seen my work in the preview exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn or spotted my work in the brochure.

It is an ideal opportunity for people to see the “artist in action” and to have a chat about art, materials, and techniques.

Apart from showing “work in progress”, I like to mount an exhibition of a variety of work. This  I feel is much more interesting for any visitor.

As can be seen from the photographs, my main interest lies in portraits, figurative painting and landscapes. For these, I work in all manner of mediums, from oils to acrylics, gouache, watercolour, pencil , charcoal and pastel.

The comments and discussions ranged far and wide from specific paintings to general chat about materials, techniques, and the classes I run.

From the artist’s point of view the feedback is invaluable and it is always fascinating to see which particular paintings prove to be the most popular.

But the “holiday” is over and it is time to get back to the solitary business of being a working artist!

Sketching in gouache

Gouache is a marvellous medium for doing quick sketches. I often use it when working on portrait commissions and wish to present a series of ideas . In a previous blog, I showed a portrait of Tony Langford, Managing Director of John Smedley Ltd. (2003-9)

This was only arrived at after various other alternatives had been considered.

Whilst it was great fun to paint , this was not really a portrait suitable for the Company Boardroom.

Tony is also a passionate sailor, so I was taken on board his motor launch and given a trip along the Orwell. Fortunately, it was a calm day as I am no seafarer! This voyage resulted in the following sketch.

One of the previous Chairmen, however, also had a nautical theme as background, so this alternative was rejected.

Finally, we decided on a Cambridge setting as Tony grew up there,went to University there and now lives there. Hence the idea of having his old College, Clare, as the backdrop. A couple of alternatives were considered.

Also

This second version was chosen as the design for the finished portrait. Whilst indicating the Cambridge connection  the pose was also intentionally relaxed and casual. As such it was a good foil to previous portraits now hanging in the John Smedley Boardroom.

The finished portrait .

“Tony Langford, Chairman, John Smedley Ltd. ( 2003-9)

oils  38″x 30″

The advantages of gouache as a sketching medium.

It is water based and dries instantly but remains soluble if you wish to work back into it. You can paint with a thick impasto or using a wash technique. It is opaque so you can paint light over dark . As such it is a very forgiving medium. It is much underrated and is well worth experimenting with if you’ve never tried it before.

Sam Motherwell's Exhibition

In previous blogs I have spoken both of charcoal techniques and working “en plein air”.

In his new exhibition at the Barnabas Gallery in Cambridge, Sam Motherwell manages to combine the two. There are over 30 charcoal drawings done on the spot in Iceland, Scotland, Finland, India, Nambia, Spain , Egypt and Greece.

Dr. Sam Motherwell.

Done quickly, Sam’s drawings retain a freshness and spontaneity that can so easily be lost when using charcoal as a medium. He has a very individual style which reminds me of the work of Paul Hogarth. Like Sam, Hogarth  worked almost exclusively in black and white, illustrating books by Brendan Behan and also those on his own travels around the world. Both artists balance line and mass, shift perspective and create almost abstract patterns out of everyday scenes and people.

Sam and Pat Motherwell chat to Colin Hayes at the Private View.

Other guests.

As well as showing Sam’s drawings, this exhibition offers the rare opportunity to view a working studio and print workshop, and to discuss  other processes such as lithography, etching and linocut.

Sam’s studio within the St. Barnabas Press.

Sam Motherwell’s Exhibition runs from 25th April- 16th May at the Barnabas Gallery, Coldhans Road, Cambridge CB1 3EW. Mon-Frid. 10-6, Sat. 10-4

Also worth checking out is Sam’s recent publication – “Mill Road stories without words”.  It is a book of 114 evocative linocuts of Mill Road, one of Cambridge’s most colourful streets.

Finally, Sam in  flamboyant  mode. Behind him, a portrait I painted last year as his term of office as the President of the Cambridge Drawing Society drew to a close.

A Pastel Demonstration

During all the painting holidays that I teach, I set time aside for a more formal demonstration. This last week in Kirkcudbright, I decided to explain the materials and techniques of pastel. Below is a pastel of “Kirkcudbright Harbour” done in just over one hour.

It was done on pastel card using a combination of hard and soft pastels. My objective,( apart from keeping the audience informed and entertained) was to attempt to try to capture the beautiful early morning light on the buildings and the shimmering reflections on the water.

A bold approach to portrait painting in oils 3

I now begin the second portrait sitting. As the oil paint is dry, I apply a coat of retouching varnish. This restores any colours which may have sunk and makes the surface receptive to fresh paint. “Oiling out ” is another technique which may be used. This is where  you rub the surface of the painting with a soft cloth dipped in medium,as though polishing it. Again, it will liven up any “dead” areas.

As the painting is dry, I check for any areas where I wish to apply transparent glazes of colour – e.g. the nose, chin, and parts of the forehead. I now focus on the eyes, once more checking shapes and modifying the colour and tone of both the pupils and irises, trying to capture the moisture and light within them.

Using stiff pigment, I build up the texture of the flesh under the eyes and in the forehead. I flick in some of the creases, laughter lines, but soften them with a cloth or drag paint over , so they do not appear simply stuck on like theatrical make-up.

I cool down some of the more fiery flesh tones and add a cool greenish reflected light on the left side of the face. The background also is lightened and a little more detail added to the ear.

The second sitting now draws to a close.

TIPS
Try using retouching varnish between sessions.

Also, try the “oiling out” method.

Experiment with glazing and scumbling techniques to see the different effects that can be achieved.

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