Build up Varnish and Pigment

Here is the latest driftwood addition to the family of new techniques I am exploring. I am moving this out of the studio today like a newborn child ushered off to adoption before I can fall in love with it :( I really love this piece, but it is for ie-designs, so its sold already. In this one I discovered a new technique where I put varnish down thickly and loosely then drop in loose wet paint directly into the varnish to let it ooze naturally together. Then I add other successive colors next to those and let them chaotically run together (controlled chaos) to simulate natural grain and weathering. The varnish becomes a carrier and allows the pigment to fall naturally to different levels, allowing light to pick up color and texture on many levels. Its hard to describe in words or to photograph.

Imbedded color technique

I am working on a large set of acrylic paintings, a driftwood series for an interior designer Veronique at wwww.IE-Designs.com (from a reference photo I took from a Jekyll Island trip I took). In this particular set I was given a limited earth tone palette, and all color variations had to spring from it, making it somewhat monochromatic. Here are some pictures of the stages of the piece. First I charcoal on the drawing. I could have stopped there , I loved the way the drawing looked! Second I started laying in a ground base of the colors that I premixed and selected, and put into squeeze bottles. Laying these colors down was particularly challenging and confusing. The idea is to put joint compound over this after the color dries thoroughly, skimming on the tree areas, and texturing the other areas. This will be the second base on which Stage 3 will be to sand down and remove the joint compound glaze gently to expose the underground color I laid in in Stage 2. As this color is exposed gradually it takes on a life of its own. I will then in Stage 4 lay in glazes onto the new "white" joint compound to bring back in the appropriate shadows and highlights. (See the pic examples)

Using Masking Fluid For Flexibility

I wanted to introduce the class to masking fluid, to show the class how the use of it can allow the artist to free up the background for wet rich wash techniques without worrying about losing your "whites" ie: the light colors areas. I also added a liberal use of salt to add detail; to the background. Laying in the background can be intimidating, when you worry about losing the wet edge or destroying whites. Here is my new second version of the carp scene using the masking fluid, in varying stages. Stage one you put the masking fluid on the whole carp and ripple bubbles. Stage 2 The masking fluid is rubbed off. Stage 3 more masking fluid is applied within the fish for highlights or "whites" then the fish is toned freely with washes. Stage 4 Is final toning and details.
Lastly to make the fish look underwater, I lightly glaze over the fish with a thin wash of cobalt blue and viridian to "push" the fish down under the waterline leaving a bit of the original color in a few choice areas to make the fish appear to be bobbing up to the surface to eat or the fins rising as they do during their movements