1 Hour Reductive Paintings

Based on a combination of suggestions by Sharon and my mentor, Preston. It more closely ties my drawing  practice to my painting practice. And it keeps things open.

Sketch #1:

This first sketch was based on a sketch previously done last Fall. I used it as a way to get familiar with the obstructions and see how the wipe-out method translated into my work.

My sketches are built in a very similar way. I do a preliminary quick sketch to establish lines and then I hand tone the paper using hatching vertically, horizontally, and diagonally both ways. Then I begin to strengthen certain parts of the sketch and use an eraser to establish the light masses.

I learned immediately that crappy canvas paper makes this method much more difficult.

Burnt sienna. 12×9 inches. 1 hour.

 

 

Sketch #2: Deer Skull, Olympic Mountains, Washington

This one was done using an actual reference and specific lighting.  And a much smoother canvas. The first layer was a mix of terre verte and raw umber. The second layer was a mix of transparent white, ultramarine blue, and alizarin crimson. In the second photo, I experimented with working in the background in a complimentary color.

18×24 inches. 1 hour, 10 minutes (I forgot to set the timer).

 

Sketch #3: Large Seashell

Smooth canvas, specific lighting on a still-life object. The first layer was cerulean blue, wiped off to as close to the canvas color as possible. The second layer was teal blue, wiped off in various places after which, transparent white was either brushed in or laid in with a palette knife. In the second photo, I did another reductive layer in teal blue and then wiped that out in places. I also added some white to the background.

18×24 inches.

 

Sketch #4: Coyote jawbone, Cascade Mountains, Washington

Smooth canvas, sanded lightly. Specific lighting

Iron oxide. 18×24 inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sketch #5: Grandmother

Smooth canvas, sanded lightly. Photo reference

Alizarin crimson/ultramarine. 18×24 inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sketch #6: Hellgate

Smooth canvas. From a photo reference. I hand wrote the first two articles from the Hellgate treaty onto the canvas before covering it in paint. I like where it’s headed but I also think this kind of treatment would have more impact if it was a facsimile of the actual treaty. 

Oil on canvas, 20×16 inches. Raw umber.

Which did not want to cooperate so I spent an hour and a half getting it to this point. I think, next time I feel like I want to use raw umber, I’ll add a little linseed oil to keep it from drying so fast. Half an hour into this painting, it started to set up and refuse to move unless I really worked at it. 

 

Sketch #7: Untitled

Smooth canvas. From a photo reference. This was an interesting experiment in using several different colors. I did need to be careful about not mixing them as I was wiping out the highlights and mid-tones, which was somewhat unsuccessful, but didn’t bother me as much as I thought it might. I’d like to try this again but, next time, I will make all the colors much darker so there is more contrast when I wipe away. Also, I used cadmium red because it stains so very badly and I wasn’t disappointed but I’d like to have that kind of staining power for the blue as well. Also, I wish I’d centered this better. Oil on canvas, 20×16 inches. Cadmium red, ultramarine, and unbleached titanium white.

In the second photo, I did another reductive layer using raw umber.

 

Sketch #8: Untitled

Smooth canvas, pre-toned in glazes of sap green, cadmium yellow, and alizarin crimson with a layer of transparent gesso over the top before applying the upper layer. That layer was a mix of ultramarine and burnt sienna.

The crow was from a photo reference but the rest was just allowed to go where it wanted. In the second photo, I hiked some color areas and then added purples and blues to the bird body. In the third photo, I pushed the color in the crow a bit more while still trying to keep things loose.

 

Sketch #9: Untitled

Smooth canvas, pre-toned in a glaze of cyan blue and white with a reductive layer of burnt umber.

I really love this.

First photo, reductive layer of burnt umber over a pre-toned canvas of cyan blue and white.
Second photo, additive layer of burnt umber, cyan blue, and white.

 

Sketch #10: Untitled

Smooth canvas, no pre-toning.  Reductive layer of raw umber and a bit of ultramarine.

Second photo, white has been scumbled into the highlights on the hands.
Third photo, adding a focused layer of Indian yellow.
Fourth photo, burnt umber and cadmium red in the hands, alizarin red and ultramarine in the shadows, cyan blue, and ultramarine in the background.
Fifth photo, re-establishing the highlights and adding movement to the background.
Sixth photo, more Indian yellow with an addition of cadmium red .

Sketch #11: Untitled

In this sketch, I did some specific pre-toning of the ground to prepare for the reductive layer.

Sketch #12; A Skill Building Exercise

This tiny (8×8) painting was created to work through some ideas on how to approach adding color to reductive layers. Oil on canvas.

First photo, reductive layer in burnt umber.
Second photo, additive paint layer using titanium white, transparent white, ultramarine blue, cyan blue, alizarin crimson, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, and yellow ochre.
Third photo, another reductive layer in raw umber with some color addition.

Sketch #13: Color study with molding paste.

Sketch #14: White Reductive on Pre-Toned Red Ground