This demonstration of Julia, Who Was From Russia emphasizes the monochromatic underpainting of a model in profile. I have taken to this practice occasionally in the last couple of years, as this technique can help establish drawing and values more easily before painting over it in opaque colors.
26" × 28" (66cm × 71cm) Baltic birch cabinet-grade hard panel
Raw Umber, Titanium White
Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Green, Cadmium Red Deep, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Dioxazine Purple, Ivory Black, Permanent Alizarin Crimson or Quinacridone Rose, Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, Sap Green, Titanium White, Turquoise Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Van Dyke Brown
No. 2 liner
Nos. 00, 01, 3, 8, 10 soft synthetic rounds
Nos. 8, 10, bristle brush filberts and flats
2-inch (51mm) starter brush
Soft blender brush
31⁄4-inch (83mm) triangular-shaped palette knife, alkyd medium, medium- to coarse-grit sandpaper, mineral spirits, paper towels, vine charcoal
With vine charcoal, sketch the drawing. Next use Raw Umber and Titanium White and a no. 2 liner to begin drawing with alkyd paint. Block in the monochrome underpainting with a no. 8 round. The paint here is a quick-drying alkyd formulation. The intention is to get the model blocked in during one day so the underpainting will be dry and ready to paint over by the following day. If it is drying too quickly to blend, mix in 50 percent slow-drying Titanium White.
With a no. 8 round, develop the drawing and values of the underpainting. Keep the values close. I usually aim for two values. Use the texture of thick paints at the high part of the cheek where there will be a light area.
The smaller the diameter of the form, the faster it turns and the sharper the edge because there is less room for light to wrap around it. The larger the diameter of the form, the more slowly it turns, so there is more light enveloping the form, which will usually result in a softer edge.
Daniel Sprick began drawing at age four, though aircraft were his passion. Today, Daniel is both a highly acclaimed artist and an experienced pilot. He relates the exquisite line in art to being airborne. To him, each painting must have just the right launch and must conclude in a perfect landing.
Revered by his fellow artists and critics alike, Daniel has achieved a distinction that few painters reach during their lifetime. He is equally adept at painting still life, landscape and figurative work. His technique is rooted in naturalism, and he is beholden to the painters of the Northern Renaissance and the Dutch Baroque.
Daniel possesses a deep sensitivity and honesty for his subjects. His recent hyper-realistic portrait series captures the model, be it flattering or not. Yet, for all his devotion to realism, Daniel’s view is entirely contemporary.
His admiring fans and colleagues are eager to view his latest paintings, whether on display at a museum, gallery or even on Facebook. The keen observer can see that Daniel is mindful of the tensions between opposites: beauty and oddness, interior and exterior, traditional and experimental, literal and imaginative.
Daniel and I have been Facebook friends, but recently we met “in real life” during one of my travels to Denver. He and I spent a fun and informative afternoon talking about art and life. For lunch Daniel prepared me the most colorful, artful salad, putting it together with as much care as one of his magnificent paintings. Daniel expresses his masterful artistry in every aspect of his life.
It is my honor to reveal the painting secrets of this living master in these pages.
Continue with the Raw Umber and Titanium White mixture and move to block in the model’s ear and the back of the head. Try to be accurate, but realize that there will be plenty of correcting to do in the subsequent stages.
Pay attention to the modeling of Julia’s graceful neck. Use the values to help create the form. Leave the underpainting more textural than the overpainting.
Criteria of “correct” and “incorrect” don’t quite apply, except in the creaky cavern of the mind of the artist. It is where we move it to something we hope will be more expressive, more alive, maybe more interesting.
The monochrome underpainting is in place after the first day of work.
Refine the underpainting before moving to the overpainting. Applying texture was enjoyable, but I realize that I have put down more of it than is really needed for this subject. A medium-grit sandpaper easily knocks down some of the texture. Also, use a triangular palette knife to smooth the texture.
Begin painting over the underpainting with opaque oil paint color. The monochrome can be done in about a day, but the actual work of painting over it with color will take some weeks.
Work on correcting the drawing defects. For this step use Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Pale, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber and alkyd medium with a no. 3 round.
There are no significant compositional changes in this step, just an effort to imbue it with a subtle harmony. By exaggerating, build a value on the back of the neck that will join seamlessly into the warm white background. Use the background color made of Titanium White and a bit of Cadmium Yellow Pale. If the paint is still pliable, use a soft blender brush to unify the neck with the background. If the paint has become dry, use a bristle brush to move the paint.
The exaggerated brightness on the back of the neck helps to unify the background with the subject, Julia. Take all the edges into consideration, as to how they may unify the subject with the background. I chose to completely diminish the lightest edges in order to integrate the flesh colors with the warm off-white environment.
Notice that the lost edges along the forehead, lower lip, chin and nose are like the effects naturalist painters were creating in the nineteenth century. By diminishing barriers, the various parts of the painting join each other, unifying the piece. The disappearing edges seem to make the remaining sharp ones stronger than they would be had all the edges remained the same.
Julia, Who Was From Russia
Daniel Sprick
Oil on board
26" × 28" (66cm × 71cm)