Here’s the final blog sharing the in-process, behind-the-scenes new direction we’re experimenting with for Museum Anatomy. For those not familiar with the history of Museum Anatomy, it’s a project that Chadwick and I have been creating since 1996. It’s continued to evolve, and over the past year has become very experimental once again. Change is good. We’re thrilled with the way the new work is turning out and are currently well into working on our second piece.  Tad Spurgeon has been an incredible help, support system and mentor of painting while working on these new pieces. He has our eternal gratitude and for any painters out there reading this, I highly recommend checking out his website and his book, LIVING CRAFT.  And now, for the rest of the story:

SPECTOR
November 7, 2013

Dear Tad,

Thank you for the encouragement! I totally understand about the darks. I’m looking forward to darkening the sky and the details sometime this week – maybe Friday. I can’t seem to get a good break from running around town.

As far as the red – especially on her dress, is is unfortunately too orange. You asked for my red list, I have:
Alizarin Permanent, Transparent Earth Red, Quinacridone Red. I’m sure I have a Cadmium as well. They’re all Gamblin. If you have any recommendations for other reds I should get, I’ll have time to pick up a tube or two tomorrow.

I suppose I’ll need to darken the blackest areas (with black? Ultramarine Blue?), then glaze over with Alizarin…That’s my guess anyhow. Feel free to let me know if I’m on the wrong track.

Chadwick and I did more casting on Sunday. We did 2 of his head, one forward (with teeth!), and one side…the ear broke, but we have the parts to put it back together. Ears are the hardest part to preserve because of the delicate undercuts. I think we’re going to start casting in a stone material, then fill it in with expandable foam…experiments…

BTW, mouth casting is seriously disgusting…I won’t go into detail, I’ll just say, he was breathing through a paper tube. I’m sure you’ll get the picture.

Please send a photo of your latest painting!

Hope all is well. I hope you are also happy with the outcome of the election…Afterall, you are living in a blue state.

More soon!
Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
November 8, 2013

Dear Laura –

Yes, I’m happy with the election…

The photos of your process are amazing and scary! Wow. But casting is giving you some very personalized panels!

Permanent alizarin should be anthraquinone, which is quite a cold crimson, the tail light and traffic light pigment. This can be cut with quinacradone rose, which is like the rosy part of rose madder, the process red, very versatile mixing colour. You do need that red to go colder. If need be, a very thin layer of cadmium red dark, which is opaque, and on the cold side, can go on, followed by a cold red, but this is only as a last resort.

As long as the palette works for you, it works. You will be able to go faster with the painting as you do more of them, a system will make itself based on your experience with the process.

Sure, feel free to do whatever you want with anything I’ve sent. When you have something up, I can link to it and send people there.

Good luck today, hope it all comes out great, you are at the point with it where it is going to just get better and better.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR
November 8, 2012

Dear Tad,

I hope you’re well. I just wanted to share some cool stuff with you…

I just downloaded some old photos off of my camera.

BTW, they’re from a a few different sittings over the past several weeks – just in case you look at them and wonder why I’m going backwards!
It’s also a good view of my set up. Though, the lighting looks really terrible – I usually paint during the day w/ a few clamp lights.

You’ll also see my palette set up (with your oil in it!)…I’m probably doing my palette set up all wrong…now’s a good time to see what I’m doing and send any suggestions my way…
I’ve never been good at/taught the ‘ole “lay out the palette correctly” thing… I suppose there is a method to my madness in that photo – transparent colors separated from
opaques, earth colors separated, and various blues (in case I need to whip up a green)…I dunno, it somehow makes sense to my cluttered brain. I always have a tiny “puddle” of oil on the palette
just in case…

I bought one of those fancy magnifying lights on an arm (I’ve wanted one forever – finally found one at Michael’s for $19, less 40%!)…I’m going to get that thing rigged and in place before I start with details…
Such an *uptight* painting – It’s a good thing I can work on it simultaneous to casting the body – which is a total slop-fest!

It was suggested to me at some point that I should organize all of these in-process photos along with our emails back and forth (since last December…) to show a complete picture of how this piece came to be. I think that’s a pretty cool idea. What do you think? I certainly wouldn’t share any of your emails if you didn’t want me to. But, I certainly will be mentioning you as an enormous source of knowledge and support.

This process rocks! I’m so excited! Tomorrow, I have the whole day to paint…more red, darken the sky and start adding some details…

Cheers,
Laura

SPECTOR
November 10, 2012

Dear Tad,

I got to the art store today to pick up some new reds. I got the new Alizarin Crimson – which is different from Alizarin Permanent. And, Quinicrodone Red, which I remember was “Rose” from Windsor Newton. I checked and the chemical makeup is the same – whatever mineral (Fake or real), PY 19 refers to…

Check out the brushes I found! I’ve been having the problem with angle of brushes behind the sculpture, making it impossible to get paint back there. I tried to bend a brush and snapped the ferrule. I was just figuring how how to tape the brush tip to a stick or something…then found a bent brush! I’m so thrilled. (It’s kind of stupid, I know…but, may make all the difference in hours spent trying to contort myself and a brush to get behind the crevices). I’ll let you know if it works. I also found a dagger stripper…not sure what it’s formally supposed to do yet, but I have some ideas for it.

Do you have any favorite brushes you work with? I’m newly addicted to filberts…any kind of filbert brushes..they make the worst mistakes look beautifully fleshed out. Do you use fan brushes on your landscapes? I’ve never used one…then again, I’ve never painted a landscape.

THEN….I found something that looked like it could either be (a) a shortcut, or (b) something that you’ll see and shake your head at.

I purchased Gamblin Cold Wax Medium. It’s basically beeswax mixed with Odorless Mineral Spirits. What kind of spirits? No idea. But, I read the label and it’s recommended as a final layer after glazing to bring down the gloss to matte while leaving transparency in the glazes.

It was cheap enough, that if you tell me, “Please don’t use that crap on your painting”, then I won’t use it. I just thought it would be an interesting experiment to see what happens. Are you familiar with this stuff?

Pics attached. Unfortunately, my iPad refuses to photograph small print, or I’d send a photo of the label.

Please send pics of what you’re up to. By the way, what are you taking classes for? You mentioned going to class in your last email….

BTW, is the Quinicrodone Red (rose), the same color you used in your watermelon? I’m still mesmerized by that color.

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
Nov 11, 2012
Dear Laura –

It looks like the Permanent Alizarin will be colder than the Alizarin. You can add a little Quinacradone to make it rosier if need be. Here is the pigment you like:

http://www.dickblick.com/items/02108-3393/#colorpigments

The actual pigment name is PR264 Pyrol Ruby. The Blick site has very complete info about the paint in those tabs, very helpful.

The pigment technology was originally centered in Germany. They are also incapable of making anything lower quality. The Schmincke Norma paints are nice, not too expensive, but they use better quality pigments. Another company I like is Blockx, less expensive than Old Holland and less confusing, fewer tubes. The Blockx color is Red Lake, PR 254, a lighter version, but an incredible red as well. This is the thing about Blockx, the pigments are perfect. I’m not saying Gamblin isn’t okay, but, doing what you’re doing, you’ll notice the difference, and you’re using mass quantities of labor, not paint.

A site with more info about pigments than you’ll ever want, this is just the reds:

http://www.artiscreation.com/red.html

But it can be helpful in finding out what something really is.

Yes, filberts are lots of fun after rounds, more forgiving. I’m doing a lot now with Princeton 8200 white synthetic. When they are new, they do a lot of expressive things, really well made tip. I tend to use them with thicker paint and mess them up, but even so, I like them. Another thing I like is to cut down an old bristle round at the ferrule, making a small brush with long bristles. These are nice for details with thick paint. The dagger striper was originally for signs or cars, will make a very long thin line.

The Gamblin cold wax is fine. You can rub it on thinly at the end. The problem — not a criticism, there is always a problem — is that it is soft, and you are in a hot place, so it will basically get very soft in the summer unless the painting is in a controlled environment. The softness also means it will attract dirt. Being wax, this is easy to get rid of, wipe it with gamsol. But, you can also use it to make the oil flatter or more matte, as a final coat. This would require a little testing. Don’t worry about the excess shine, too much is better than “dead as a doornail,” wherever that expression came from, can always be made matte, yet will glow from within…

Best from an almost sunny day!

Tad

SPECTOR

November 11, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thanks for the websites. I’m amazed with the artistcreation site…It’s like stumbling across the Rosetta Stone… A Holy site on the Internet…who knew?! I plan on spending a lot of time on that site. Do you already know about http://www.paintmaking.com? That has always been one of my favorite resources.

I think you’re right about the Schmincke paints (And I’ll check into Blockx)..I need a paint overhaul for the next works. I’ll probably use the remaining Gamblin that I have, then move into those other two companies. It’s all such an investment!

I have to say, purchasing online may be very convenient, but I miss opening the tubes of paint and smelling them….What can I say? True story – when I was in Thailand, Chadwick and I were commissioned to build a miniature golf course with 250+ meters of mural space. I painted it all in acrylic paint and by the end of the process (12-14 hour days/6 days a week for 6 months!), I knew each color by their smell. My most random human trick.

As far as the Cold Wax Medium, I was thinking to use it only as a final process to “seal” the painting as the last layer when all is dry. I am having loads of problems keeping the dust and CAT HAIR off the surface of the painting. It’s not an easy task. I got a can of air, it helped a tiny bit. I actually took artist’s paper tape and taped the surface to try and get rid of the hair. It helped, but I still have some unfortunate fuzzy bits. So frustrating! I really need a dedicated studio without a long-haired Persian cat fluffing about.

I really like your paintings! I can see some of the goopiness you’re talking about…they look very lush and shiny…lots of light and motion. What are you using to get that “water-like” quality in the paint – is that the putty? Will they remain that glossy? The colors in the third one are radiant – I wish I could see it in person.

Cheers,

Laura

SPECTOR
November 13, 2013

Dear Tad,

I just downloaded these pictures from my camera. They are one glaze behind where I really am. The red is now cooler and the lamb is brighter. I want to work on the flesh color before I photograph again.

Not sure how to darken the sky. Any suggestions? What I’m copying looks almost like raw umber or something that dark, plus yellow…could just be age/damage.

Hope you’re well!

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON

November 13, 2012

Dear Laura –

Thanks for those bigger pictures, great sense of detail, I wasn’t sure how much paint was on it, literally. What amazing detail the cast has, wow. You are working thinly, this is very good

I’ve got all your process photos but send me the reference again and I can suggest something for the sky. If you make a gray based on ultramarine, it will probably be accurate. But maybe you haven’t used ultramarine, if so use the blue you made the green with. Then darken that. I don’t know, the sky may have been made with indigo, which is fugitive, often bleaches. So, a question of guessing at the original, which may look better, or going with what exists now. You can darken pretty much all the lightest spots on the painting slightly, veil them with thin colours that have a little lead white in them.

The look of those paintings has to do with two things. The first is my pet theory — warning, pet theory! — that older painters used a lot of thicker oil. So, the putty is made with the type of oil I sent you that you are now using for glazing. This means that the paint is denser, pigment held in suspension, it all glows more.

The other thing with those paintings is the “aqueous additions” part. This is based on Rembrandt using egg white, starch, etc. to make the paint tighten or seize. You don’t need to get into this with this painting, wrong era and the scale of the paint needs to be bigger, but you might like to fool around with this at some point. The aqueous additions are used in very very small amounts, they make the putty seize, kind of like mashed potatoes, then you add a little more oil and you have something that flows, but with body. I’m just doing various alla prima experiments with the proportions, it’s a simple system in terms of the ingredients but different proportions make very different paint.
…
Best, Tad

SPECTOR
Dear Tad,

I hope you’re doing we’ll. is it cold where you are already? It’s still warm here and I’m missing the leaves changing color and any prospects for snow.

I finished the second layer of glaze. It’s tricky, like a puzzle. I’m not worrying to much about details yet.

I’ve read a lot about switching back and forth between cool and warm glaze layers. This was my cool layer. When this dries, I’ll bring her dress to red and sort out the other colors.

It’s very warm, rich and vibrant so far.

When should I start using the walnut oil? Or, should I use it at all?

It’s very difficult to photograph. It looks better in person, as most paintings do.

BTW, the Lucien Freud exhibit was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. Paintings from 1940-2011. Just sublime. I’m a huge fan.

Also, I stopped by The Kimball Museum, and they had a special 40th anniversary show. You’ll appreciate this….it was curated by date of acquisition. Seriously. So there were Buddhas next to Miro’s next to Carravaggios…and so on and so forth. It was the weirdest show I’ve ever seen. I kind of liked it in a non-conformist sort of way.

I feel like writing the curator to do Museum Anatomy with art in their storage facilities, but instead of asking to work with pre19th century art, i want to ask to work with paintings acquired between 1975-1983.

Please point out any mistakes I’m making.

Thanks!
Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
Dear Laura –

Sorry to be late, this last week was very odd, I think I knew there was a storm brewing or something, very hard to focus. We are just on the edge of the storm now, and will probably not get much beyond a lot of rain and wind, but the sky is a little relentless looking for being so pink

Thanks very much for the casting photos, what a wild process. That cast is huge. That is great about the Freud technique, great to be so directly inspired by someone’s work, yet have the means to transform it. There are any number of techniques that have evolved from “middle aged” paint. I write with someone in Australia who makes specific pieces of paint for paintings on a glass plate, then lifts or cuts them them off and places them in wet paint. It’s kind of like cloisonné. I can’t imagine being that organized but maybe you don’t have to be since the pieces can be cut to the shape needed.

The eyeball inserts begin to get into that 19th c. automaton or ventriloquist dummy territory. That little museum I used to work at had a large collection of old toys, some of which were really creepy, that John Lennon maniacal fake smile.

Well, you know, it’s not do or die with the final layer. It’s good to try to make it the final layer, just from the point of view of production, closure, but you can always go on. There may be details you can do on the second day, when the paint is tighter, and even finer stuff you can do when it is almost dry. Also, if anything gets too dense or goopy it can be sanded back. This can be done with actual sandpaper, or with marble dust and oil on a rag for tricky places.

Hope things are cooling off a little, hard to imagine 95 right now but my brother used to live in San Antonio so I know Texas is different!

Best, Tad

SPECTOR
Dear Tad,

I hope you made it through Sandy without damage. NYC certainly has seen better days. I still have friends without power. I would have loved to have seen Times Square without power – I bet that is/was a very interesting experience!

Now, back on track. When I went to my painting this morning, I noticed it was living mainly in Blue and Yellow. Today, was the day for Reds. I have darkened the figures, stepping down a couple of values like you suggested. I actually think I could go darker, but I want to wait to see what it looks like with fresh eyes.

The sky has pink in it, and the lamb has been darkened a bit more. Today, I felt a bit more confident making things dark and playing around with more colors. I am now able to conceptualize what will happen when I put on the final layers of highlights. I’m pretty excited about it.

I was also able to fill in any “noise” on the plaster – the tiny holes that had escaped me the past few painting sessions, were a lot more obvious with fresh eyes and I was able to cover and integrate them into the painting.

The reds on her robe aren’t as rich as I’d like them to be, nor are the dark folds in the fabric as dark as I want them to be. I’ve been taking your advice to keep everything light. When do you think it would be appropriate to start going really dark, or putting in the dark details?

I’m interested to hear your thoughts and recommendations.

I hope your paintings are going well. Please forward photos! I’m always interested to see your process and what you’re up to.

More soon.

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
November 3, 2012

Dear Laura –

Yes, it was a really weird week here. Like stepping up only there was no step. We got very little from Sandy, even less than advertised, Tuesday was warm and sunny, eerie. I spent time as a kid on the Jersey Shore, all those places have been clobbered. I agree about this moon, it has been vengeful!

Fresh eyes are very helpful, I can’t believe the stuff I see in the morning after trying to finish something the day before. Duh! But there was no way to see it at 5 pm the day before.

It looks really good. And you have been really patient about the darks. But you see why, yes? They have to be approached incrementally or they will lock up, get too dark. We see this a lot in older painting, so are used it it as a look, but it isn’t necessarily “good painting” since it eliminates options. It can be fixed, but it is a pain even with titanium because the key of the colour gets so messed up. So, go ahead and make things darker, but you can also start adding various colours using white to the lighter areas. The details are often easier to make the second day, when the paint is sticky or tarry.

What red are you using for this? It is hard to tell from the photo if it is that much on the orange side. You might go with a more crimson red next time, this would be pyrol or anthraquinone or even quinacradone red. Maybe tell me what you have in the red department, and what brand of paint is easy for you to get.

I actually did something I liked this week in spite of everything, I’ll send you a photo when it’s dry enough to take one.

You have done amazingly well with this. There is a lot of complexity, as I’m sure you know better than anyone, and this is why I sort of emphasized rules, going slowly. It will not have to be this way as you go, it just seemed really important not to have to go backwards with a “panel” that had so much work in it already.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR
November 17, 2012

Dear Tad,

I’m attaching the original pic of the painting. (It’s hard to find a good image of it on the Internet). I’ve noticed there are now images of the painting that suggest there are 6 specific points on the paintings where experts determined it was a real Da Vinci. I need to find out what those are! Anyhow, if you have a moment, I’d love to pick your brain as to how you think he achieved the sky – or, if it’s simply a matter that the paint/oil is old and needs to be cleaned…

My time hasn’t been my own over the past week. I’m finally planning on sitting down and facing the painting today. I need to lighten skin tones…I saw some reference pictures and know I need to really brighten their faces.

F1 is in Austin this weekend. There’s a lot of very tall, slender, well-dressed Europeans wandering throughout the streets. They look totally out of place in this very grunge/fraternity preppy city. I kind of like it. I wish they’d stay. The economy would be much better and I might be able to stay. Since that’s not happening, it looks like Houston will be happening in about 6 weeks. Another

 move – I can no longer keep count…last time I did, it was in the mid-30′s…certainly more than that now. I’m starting to feel a bit like a hobo, or a Bob Dylan song.

I also included the “6″ points – if you know what they are – please let me know. BTW, I tend to think the colors in the second image may be closer to the real painting…if thats the case, I need to darken the clothing and lighten the skin. The sky is still perplexing…dark gold blue??

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
November 20, 2012

Dear Laura –

Sorry to be late, I’ve been buried with nuts and bolts questions. All fine, but it takes a while to get through them!

I don’t know what the numbers are about in that image, geeky microscopic stuff probably. I can see it being by a very young Leonardo, where I see him is in the articulation of her hand.

It looks like the blue is indigo, which has both faded and turned green. For the sky you can start with Prussian Blue for this and make it greener with burnt sienna. I know, but it works. The tricky part with this is the smoothness of the highlights, there’s not much there except the dirt of time. So this is another thing you could do, put a layer of “old varnish” on it at the end by a yellow-brown glaze. Her red is pretty dull but less orange, you might add a tiny amount of Prussian to Permanent Alizarin to get something duller yet still transparent. I think once you have the next layer on you will have turned the corner. Don’t worry too much about the real painting, it probably bears little resemblance to what he painted at this point anyway, not only the colours, but the flower was opaque, etc. So, my .02 is to just make it look good your way. But I agree, the bigger image looks right, the little one looks pumped up…

Best,
Tad.

SPECTOR
December 5, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thank you very much for your last email. I’ve yet to try the color combinations, but am looking forward to testing them out…Prussian Blue with Burnt Sienna (I think? I have to look back again), sounds funky, but I think I get it.

You were right when you said after the next layer I will have turned a corner…The painting somehow at some point took on a life of it’s own. I feel as though I’m at this point where I’m tinkering with it to refine delicate lines and very specific highlights. The surface of the painting is gorgeous…really gorgeous…I dare say I like the surface of the painting better than the painting itself?… There’s something about it that glows, is magical, has tremendous depth that shimmers and contains movement…it’s quite unreal that I actually did this (with a LOT of help from you!). Today, I fine-tuned her veil and think it’s the first part of the painting I’m deeming finished and promised myself that I wouldn’t mess with it anymore…I can easily see how this could go into infinity with it being “unfinished” for years…;)

We ordered the boards for the back of the next 4 pieces. Beautiful wood…I forgot the name of the wood, it’s not something that I’ve heard of before. We’ll work one at a time and take our time to do it right. We haven’t chosen our second image yet, but know it will be a solo figure. I need to give these complex scenes a rest…and focus on one figure. The next one will be a much larger size – about 4-5 times larger than what I’m working with now. And, we’ll be priming the board and the cast at the same time with one gesso.

I’ve given my notice at work and will be going to CO for the holidays. Then, when I return, I’ll be directly moving to Houston. I figure I have about 1 week left to actually finish this piece…I hope I can do it. And, I think the oil you sent will just be enough for this one…It’s like this magical potion that I very carefully use a dropper bottle to dispense into the paints…;)

If you’re interested, I would love to share the second painting process with you. If I’m able, I’m going to upgrade my paints as well to one of the brands you’ve previously suggested.

I’m attaching some images from today (not the best photos – sorry!).

This is so exciting!

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
December 5, 2012

Dear Laura –

I was just wondering about you. The photos look fine, I can see the deeper red and detail. I’m glad the most recent layer was fun, you set it up really well, this is the key. From now on you will be cakewalking into town. I’m glad that the oil is giving you the right look. Just slightly thick has always been the right consistency for straight paint: it dries with a gloss, but you can paint over it, and the paint has depth, doesn’t dry down. I am happy to send you more, whenever.

Yes, finish it at the level you feel comfortable with now and move on to the next one. You can always tweak it again in six months, just before the big show. But, seriously, that’s a nice way to work: let it rest until, when you look at it, you see exactly what to do, working on it again would be fun, no effort.

I’d of course be very happy to talk to you about the next one, this has been a real treat for me. You may not feel organized but, believe me, you are! Don’t worry about the paint for now, it is not a big deal. It will be a little nicer to work with, a little brighter, etc. and a treat when it can happen.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR
Dear Tad,

I hope you are well. I just wanted to check in so you didn’t think I dropped off the planet. I’ve sadly put a dust cloth over my artwork until I can find a time to get back to work on it. It’s been the busiest 3 weeks of life. I acted as a Production Manager for a concert created by 12 local Austin musicians…I had them rehearsing in my living room for almost 8 hours a day for the past couple of weeks, doing press and cooking for them….The concert was a success and I’m glad to have part of my life back.

I just spent a few days in the urban sprawl of Houston. It’s a really huge city that is very intimidating. I didn’t find a place to live yet, but haven’t given up hope. It sure makes Austin look beautiful…Then again, Houston looks like I’ll actually be able to find a job. At this point, money outweighs beauty…odd, I never thought I’d say that.

I wanted to share this really bizarre freak show of viral press that Chadwick and I received over the past few days. First, The Huffington Post with an average article. It didn’t go into any depth, but a fluffy piece is a good way to sidetrack the masses from watching fearful news about guns.

Then, the Daily Mail in London used our pictures without permission and ran a much dumber story with a “compare/contrast” element of the original paintings next to our work. They deemed the paintings we recreated as “world famous”…um…these paintings were found mainly in storage facilities in museums, either damaged, stolen, destroyed, unappreciated, unworthy of display, (one is a sketch and not a painting) – anything but world famous…

Finally, my favorite stupid article of all time is from MSN…where apparently we have “Recreated 10 famous paintings onto the body”. Just brilliant.

Things I’ve learned about press:
Press doesn’t equal money. The “journalists” never fact check or contact us prior to writing this crap. The masses that leave comments (which I should know better than to read), make me not want to ever show artwork in public…ever. To be fair, there are some good comments…And, people in general are kinda dumb.

There is certainly a major lack of art appreciation in our culture. Oh yeah, it also makes me totally frightened how easily cyber-bullies can just dismiss the life work of a fellow human just because they don’t “like it” – without any conversation at all…no questions, no thoughtfulness – even leaving comments to “get a real job” (well, that’s exactly why I’m moving to Houston) or “I can’t believe people make money doing this stuff” (yeah, neither can I. If you meet someone who does, please ask them how they do it!)…but, my all time favorite was, “If Picasso knew he could just do this type of work maybe he wouldn’t have cut off his ear.”…Seriously! ….The system of press is flawed in all directions unless a good friend is writing an actual article… Anyhow, here they are in all their embarrassing glory:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/body-painting-artists-recreate-19th-century-paintings_n_2314787.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2249962/My-body-IS-art-Woman-worlds-famous-paintings-partner-paints-naked-body.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

http://now.msn.com/chadwick-gray-laura-spector-human-body-art

I miss painting and cannot wait to sit down and work. I’m in Colorado right now and get back before the New Year and am looking forward to sneaking in some long hours uninterrupted.

I hope you’re well, starting your holiday from teaching, and getting a lot of painting done. Please send photos of what you’re working on.
Cheers,
Laura

SPECTOR
Dear Tad,

Happy New Year! I hope it has started out well for you.
Thanks for the encouragement with the press stuff. It’s equally exciting as it is frustrating, then it goes away, much like an illness.

And, thank you for sharing your paintings. They’re always inspiring to look at. The snow painting is so beautiful. I could really get lost in that one. And, your little pops of red in the first painting are what comes to mind when I think of the work of yours I’ve seen. You’re really good at reds. Maybe I notice because it’s the one thing that has always been my biggest challenge…red of course will always “pop” by it’s very nature…but, there’s a life within it that you’re able to pull out that is so vibrant it has a pulse. That watermelon of yours….it’s stuck in my head like song. I want to see it in person someday.

It’s also of interest that you’re painting on paper. Are priming the paper first?

I think…THINK…I have finished the painting. I ran in last week from Houston and squeezed out a whole new palette and cranked out details that had been on my mind. I need to just let it sink in for a while now. In the end, I think it lives in 2 very closely related worlds. The boy figure on the bottom left is a bit darker than I think I had envisioned.

At first, I wanted to recreate the entire image as I saw it on the printout I was working from. (That’s where the boy’s skin tone emerged from). Then, I spent time contemplating how poor quality the printer that printed the image really is, the poor quality of the photograph which was plucked from the Internet, the poor condition the actual painting is in after sitting in storage after being stolen so long ago, how aged the oils are in the painting and how different it probably looks now from what it looked like 500 years ago… From that, I came up with the skin tones for the central figures (Mary and Jesus) and the background as guess work. In addition to that, at one point you mentioned how different it already looked from the original copy (I’m not fooling anyone or passing a forgery)…so, there it is…living in two worlds – one replicated from a copy of a copy of a copy….and the other, inspired by what I guess it may have looked like. Sometimes, I guess I’m indecisive. I suppose in my next attempt, I’ll try to solidify both worlds.

I’m most happy with how the background and sky turned out. It literally radiates light. I have finally, with your help, succeeded in creating light from pigment. It glows. Even in the dark, you can see the outline of the sky peeking through. I’ve always wanted to create that kind of magical alchemy where the pigments sing in harmony and create light. It’s poetically cliche and nauseating…but, it’s so, so cool. I find myself just staring at that part of the painting. I cannot thank you enough for helping me create that. I always can spot a true collaboration – because it always results in some type of beauty. Thank you for collaborating with me on this.

I’m in the middle of moving to Houston. I’m packing this week in Austin to start a brand new chapter next week. This new chapter will include paragraphs related to making money.

Houston is a little jewel in Texas…Hidden under and beside the vast network of highways, are creative neighborhoods with all different types of people.

I have an apartment secured in a neighborhood that was just inducted into the Audubon Society last year (according to the street signs)…it’s very cute. The neighborhood is Montrose, next to the Museum District.

I’m off to paint a giant canvas Chinese Red acrylic for the base of a cartoon-inspired commission (oh my!). It’s a jarring change to say the least. Flexibility is key….

We’ll be mounting the next cast onto a board within the next two weeks. I’ll keep you posted. And, I’ll send you photos of the “completed” painting when I move to the same location as my computer next week.

Please send more photos of your paintings and what you’re up to.

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON
January 10, 2013

Dear Laura –

Happy New Year as well! It sounds like yours is off to a good start!

I primed paper for many years with glue and glue gesso. Then the new paper from Arches came into my life. It is internally sized and works very well. I really liked it, was sort of shocked. I may have to go back to doing it myself, figurer out how to do something similar, but this paper is very well done.

That’s great that you feel complete with the first image, I want to see it! When you’re ready, I’d also like to talk about it on the News. Not that it’s that much publicity It is always interesting how a painting goes through stages in terms of how we see it. To me this is the fun part about working in layers: they often set the stage for something I didn’t think of.

Well, the illusion of light will always be visually magical, appeal to the inner child. It is, of course, a formula as well, so it depends on how it is used. Are we looking at real light, or faux light? Then of course, there’s digital light… So, there are lots of different slants here as well. The indecision comes about as a result of seeing contrasting possibilities, so the difference between indecision and growth is just a little more time or experience with the situation.

Congratulations on your move, it all sounds great.

New moon tomorrow, usually a very zippy day.

Best, Tad

I know blogs are supposed to be short entries that can be read quickly. However, I have too much information from emails back and forth between Tad Spurgeon and myself.  I’m having a hard time editing.  

After speaking to a few encouraging people who are reading all of the e-mails I’ve been posting, I figured I’d pace myself and keep most of the information in order of dates to accurately show the process.  Sorry these entries are SO LONG! I promise in the future, I’ll go back to speedy blog entries, filled with colorful pictures and minimal text.

In the meantime, with pressure from friends and fellow artists who are keeping up with this blog (which I was told was reminiscent of an artistic version of Downton Abby, less the drama ), here are emails and photos of a work in progress.  I hope you enjoy. Feel free to ask questions about the blog, or the artwork. -LS

PS  - Spoilers…the work was completed in January 2013.  There’s only a couple more blogs until the final work will be shown!

SPECTOR:

August 29, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thank you very much for sending out the oil. I’ll let you know as soon as I get it.

I’ve attached a photo of my paint palette. It’s more than I’ll probably need, but better to be prepared. I tried my best to stick with one brand…while there’s actually 3, I’ve tried both and they’re comparable. The Charvin needs to be the Super Fine version, because the Extra Fine, feels like a slightly better version of Winsor Newton…not my favorite.

You’ll also see my new magnifying lamp on the table. You’d think by now inventors would figure ou a sleeker design for these clunky things…but, I’m very happy I finally own one! It will make painting teensy details so much easier.

 I’m a day behind with drawing out the painting. This will be done tonight.

I think I’ve finally decided to do a Verdaccio underpainting…keeping it light. Mars Black with Yellow Ochre and Flake White.

To thin out the paint, what do you recommend? I have always used turpentine, but not sure that’s a good choice. I want to keep it very thin so it dries fast. I always spend the most amount of time on the underpainting, making sure its a perfect tonal map.

I’m going to Houston over the weekend to check out some museums. I’m also contemplating a move there next year. The economy in Austin is great for real estate, not great for artists.

I found out the only city in the US that is getting the Lucien Freud retrospective is Ft. Worth, TX. I’m planning on going in October. I heard its totally mesmerizing. I’m a big fan, and I’ve only seen a couple of his drawings in person while in Hong Kong. I’m really excited about it.

And, as I prepare to get into the painting mindset…big changes so I don’t get distracted…I’ve deactivated my Facebook page, no more political news, swimming schedule in the morning and a new gluten-free diet. I guess this means business! . If nothing else I’ll have lots of energy and time to work.

Hope you’re well.

Cheers,

Laura

SPURGEON:

August 30, 2012

Dear Laura –

The paint can be thinned with solvent, but doesn’t have to be. The white lead will help it dry quickly. You may want a little density because of the cast itself, not sure. Gamsol is nice, no odor, there’s also Shellsol from Kremer which is low odor. These should still be used with ventiliation if possible.

That’s great that you’re getting in training! I do this periodically but it always helps. Painting definitely requires something physical in the day to balance it.

I’m sending along the Predimensional Palette concept, not sure if we went over this. This is the way to get a few colours to appear like a lot. If you like it, you can set up your second layer this way and see how much more dimension appears from the contrast of the colours cut with black, white, or gray with the actual colours themselves. In this case you will have just red earth and yellow earth to balance the black and white, but setting it up will still show you all the colour types necessary for accurate dimension first. Not necessary, of course, but it tends to keep things from getting muddy.

Please feel free to send any photos or questions as you go!

Best, Tad

SPECTOR:

August 30, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thanks for that information. I’m going to print a copy of the color palette to have on hand as a friendly reminder.

I got the oil! It smells divine! I can’t wait to use it. And, I liked your postcard, which is now living on my refrigerator. Thank you so much!

I promise to send photos as I’m working to keep you up on the progress. And, I hope you’ll continue offer opinions as I move along. I really appreciate your help.

Thanks again for all of your help and encouragement – and that gorgeous oil!! This is possibly the most exciting painting I’ve worked on.

More soon.

Cheers,

Laura

SPECTOR:

September 18, 2012

Dear Tad,

Hope you’re well.

I went to the Houston Art Fair on Sunday. Some interesting work on display. There’s a lot more variations of styles in comparison to the Singapore and Hong Kong art fairs I’ve seen. There were still a few giant paintings with big pink heads…leftovers from China’s heyday upon entering the big stakes art bubble.

The Houston dealers were so nice that I thought I wasn’t actually at an art fair, until I stumbled upon the meanest/ rudest British gallerist that ever was….instantly remembering I was but a lowly artist at an art fair. …

… I’ve gone another 6 hours on the underpainting. The lighting isn’t the greatest in the attached photo. It’s a bit lighter in person, especially the lower right corner.

I have to decide if I’m going to paint the negative space behind the foot.

I’m going to blend out the fabric creases on her chest. I love the 3-d effect, but that’s more me than the painting I’m recreating. The lines photograph much too severe.

 Holy cow, this is a long process…

 What are you working on these days?

 Cheers, Laura

SPECTOR:

September 23, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thank you for sharing your paintings with me. They already look beautiful. I love the thought of “painting air”. It’s such an elegant quest.

I was able to sneak another 6 hours in on my painting. I have to send the update photo in a separate email since I’m on my iPad.

You weren’t kidding when you said Lead White dries quickly. I’m running out of turpentine faster than paint.

I think I’m going to finish the basic underpainting, then go back again for tonal corrections. I keep finding mistakes or slight alterations along the way. I’m paranoid to go too dark, even if the painting I’m copying has what looks like black in it. Oh, Da Vinci and his Sfumato techniques! I keep wanting to make solid shapes! I kind of suspect he must have been afraid of commitment.

I’ll look up Pissarro’s letters. I wonder if they can be found at the library? Validation in the arts is always a welcome feeling.

Speaking of painted air, there’s a painting of icebergs that I saw at the Dallas Art Museum, which I think may be the most beautiful landscape painting I’ve ever seen. I’ll find the name of it and send it to you.

Updated picture on the way.

Cheers, Laura

SPECTOR:

October 1, 2012

Dear Tad,

I think I finally finished the first layer of underpainting! Now, I think I’ll go back and do one more sweep in the same palette to tidy it up a bit. It looks like it was done in 3 slightly different palettes…I’d like to try and fuse them together a bit more.

I’m still not sure what to do with the white spaces behind the cast. In a normal Museum Anatomy, (painted on the body), I would either fill it in black, or continue the closest color to the blank space , to fill in any gaps.

I’m still thinking on that. This may be a good way to kind of “freeze time” so people can see how it usually looks on the body. It may also take away any question (if there is someone dumb enough out there- which there usually is…), that it’s not a forgery..and that it’s an interpretation of the original painting, (of which, I’ve never seen in real life…I’m working from a rather low resolution image printed from the Internet). However, I’d value your input as a viewer.

One thing is, it’s kind of difficult to paint those back areas with any grace or detail. I would literally need to break a brush and tape it to some heavy gauge wire to get in there….which makes a solid color background sound more pleasing.

That’s a great question you posed about the finish. I haven’t even thought that far yet…

I have a couple of questions for you….

What kind of wax would I use if I did add it into the oil? And, you mentioned the ratio would be 5% for mixing? would I add it to the entire amount of oil you sent? And, does it tend to dry out the oil faster? Would this literally create a type of encaustic? Or,does the wax only alter the final look of the sheen, to bring down the gloss of the oil?

I may do the glossy route, just to be on what may be the “safe side”. But, then varnish it down with matte varnish. Do I need to wait 9 months to do this part?

I want the final result to resemble the painting on skin. If you can imagine, it’s matte/dry, with the oil from the skin surfacing…so a slight sheen.

After I finish the underpainting…should I be going straight into glazing with walnut oil? Just paint + oil? Any tips on how much oil to use for the first glaze?

Your B-day question…June 11- smack in the middle of Gemini. I tend to fit the dual personality stereotype perfectly…reclusive OCD painter/ publicist and organizer.

Thanks again for all of your help. I’m so excited to see color on this painting! Hopefully, the oil glaze will fill in any tiny white spots I couldn’t cover on the plaster with the underpainting.

Please send updates of your landscapes. I’d love to see them!

Hope you’re well!, Laura

SPURGEON:

October 1, 2012

Dear Laura –

Wow! Thanks for those photos, they give a much clearer idea of how the image becomes many different things depending on the point of view.

Beeswax in 5% or so will give you a more matte look. It can be melted in at low heat, or dissolved in solvent, mixed into the oil well that way. It brings down the gloss, makes the paint set a little more. It moves oil paint away from the older look, so, may or may not be right for this : ) The situation is complex, the complexity of the reflections may add to it in a good way. But, very easy to change with a matte varnish.  You might want to just try a small test with beeswax in a little thicker oil, paint it out and look at the sheen. Mixing wax with thicker oil, you can get a saturated but soft look that is very attractive, not old master but not blunt either.

Try to get those tiny white spots when you redo the underpainting, it is odd how independent they can be. After you finish the under painting, you can go straight to glazing. The paint itself does not need to be thin, but the application does, so it will dry quickly and you can keep going. You might use that little bottle of clear linseed oil with the 5% wax addition, and do a pass over the whole thing with that. If you like the look of that, you can keep going. If it seems a little dry, you can add some of the thicker oil I sent. Not much! or things will get goopy and this is not a goopy project. Or, you can do two tests now, one with the thin oil and 5% wax, one with that combo, and a little bit — 5 to 10% — of the thicker oil added. You’ll know what you like when you see it.

Also, you can always remove paint, a rag can really help if something gets too dark too fast.

After a glaze layer, you can do a layer with a little white in it. This is optional of course but is part of that older look. Then a final layer of glaze, so the paint layers are thin, but of contrasting temperatures. It’s always possible to darken things with a glaze, but if things get too dark, too soon, this is where it’s hard to backpeddle. So: thin, fast drying layers that stretch the value scale slowly.

I’m sending you this weeks landscape, a quiet one. It’s hard to get the feeling in the little jpeg, but if you squint at it it emerges. In life I’m liking the sense of the light that’s part of a gentle rain it has, but I’m leaving the rainbows out. Sheesh, nature has no shame It will take more layers, the thing I’m working with now it how much to paint it “up” in terms of adding the light. It looked pretty good this last layer, then dried down. Right now though, I’d rather keep the atmosphere and add the light on top bit by bit.

Please send anything in the way of questions or in progress stuff as you go!

 Best, Tad

 SPECTOR:

October 9, 2012

 Dear Tad,

 Thanks for the all the information you sent. I have been so distracted with trying to find money, that I had to wait to finish my underpainting. 

Good news …I have finished my underpainting! I covered all the tiny white dots and just balanced the colors throughout. The top is no longer super ochre yellow by comparison. (I’d send a photo, but I’m writing from a coffee shop on my way to photograph doctors for one of my million other jobs)

 I’m going to wait a day or two to make sure the underpainting is thoroughly dry. I don’t want any surprises!

I was told today that I have a final date for an upcoming exhibition. The pressure is on! It’s the first show we’ve had in the US, since 1999 in NYC. This show is at the new Georgetown Art Center. The dates are May 17th through June 23rd. I’m telling you now, in the off-chance you find yourself in Austin/Georgetown during that time. Or, if you want to send friends/family if they’re in this region.

Did I tell you I’m strongly considering moving to Houston? It’s too difficult to make ends meet in Austin and I’m getting a bit old to hold down 12 different jobs a week. I’ll have a better chance of getting into Biomedical photography (photographing actual surgeries)…

Question for you….

How do I melt wax into oil? What is the literal directions to do this without messing it up? I’m imagining I need to purchase a dedicated small pot for this procedure.

Also, what do I put the mixture in once it’s melted together? Would a glass dropper bottle be appropriate?

I haven’t purchased the wax yet. Is there a specific type/name brand/place where I should buy it?

Do I still wash my brushes the same way? Or, are they one-time-use brushes from this point onward?

I’m currently using a giant tub of brush cleaner (can’t remember the name), it comes in a dirty yellow looking plastic tub…solid soap that doesn’t foam, but is great at restoring brushes…and smells good.

I can’t thank you enough for all of the help and knowledge you’ve been so generous to share.

How is your landscape painting coming along? Rainbows. Whoever can paint a rainbow and not make it look like cheese (most impossible task!) – should just win.

By the way, do you/have you taught painting before? Someone asked me the other day, and I didn’t know.

Cheers, Laura

SPURGEON:

October 9, 2012

Dear Laura –…

With the wax, simply shave it into the oil, melt on VERY LOW heat, stir well, and bottle or jar. It will be a little cloudy. If you melt wax at 5% into a thicker oil, it will have more body and set, but still dry shiny. But a thinner oil will dry more matte. Tell me what you want to use it for, and I can be more specific. The pot can be cleaned with hot water, then soap and water.

If you know of a good health food store, they often have beeswax. This is fine if it is yellow, new wax, rather than brown old wax. Kremer has nice beeswax, from those busy German bees. You can also get something called Cosmoloid H80 from Kremer or Talas, this is a mineral wax:

http://www.kremerpigments.com/shopus/index.php?cat=0205&lang=ENG&product=62800

With wax, you may need solvent to get the wax out of the brushes for real.  I know that brush cleaner, it is surprisingly good so it might work for wax too.  A nice solvent is Gamsol, but it is expensive and has NO odor so it’s hard to know how much is in the air. Kremer has Shellsol, which I like, low odor but cheaper.  There may be a conservation place in Austin or Houston though, cheaper shipping.

The rainbow is on hold

Have fun with it all, and send me any questions that come up when you get going with the next layer, which should go much more quickly.  When in doubt, less paint, less darkness, you can always do more.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR:

October 9, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thanks for the wax explanation. I’m going out in the morning to see if I can hunt some beeswax down.  I also found this, which I can pick up locally if you think it will work:

http://search.jerrysartarama.com/search?keywords=Beeswax

Is it possible to do the first layer without wax, using the thin oil, then add wax to matte it down a bit in the later layers with thicker oil?

I’m hoping for a slight sheen to the final painting so it actually resembles painted skin. If you can imagine what it would look like to paint acrylic paint on skin, but a bit less shiny and dense – that’s what may best describe how the paint looks like on Chadwick. I’d love to emulate that type of finish on this painting.

i know this painting will have much more depth than my usual paintings on the body…but, I think capturing a “painted fleshy” texture would be amazing. I’m also thinking of those really old wax dolls- creepy Victorian dolls or those anatomy dolls for inspiration.

I’ll admit I’m a bit shy and intrigued to mix and melt wax and oils. It’s something I should learn to do…but, since its a whole new ball of wax for me, (bad pun intended), I’m scared I’m going to mess it up. 5% seems like a teeny tiny amount of wax…how on earth could I really mess it up right?

Any last minute advice?

SPURGEON:

October 10, 2012

Dear Laura –

Yes, that wax is fine.

Yes, you can add wax later. But not the reverse, not a good idea to paint over wax without wax as far as adhesion.

Adding wax later might be better. You’ll get more of the look of skin, the glow, from the combination of wax with thicker oil. This can be saturated without being glossy, which sounds like what you want. Do a test of this if you can before using it, while you’re doing the next layer.

I have every confidence that you can melt 5% wax into oil successfully. Go Laura! But maybe don’t make too much at first, so you can see how it behaves. Voice of many mediums that were supposed to be much better than they turned out to be. This also means it will not take ong, that the heat cannot be high. When materials are very different, a little can mean a lot.  If you put 5% egg yolk into your paint, for example, you’d know it.

You can do this next layer in two stages. My concern is that things may look dark if you do just a glaze layer. So, for every chunk of the painting you’re working on, you can glaze it down, then work in colour with a little white as well. So this would mean a transparent pass, followed by a pass that lightened things as needed. But, you can also just glaze it, then come back with paint that has white in it.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR:

October 10, 2012

Dear Tad,

Great!

I’m on my way out the door to pick up all the necessary items.

I’m now switching to Titanium white, right?

I’ll do the first pass without wax.

And…when I do melt the wax, do I melt it alone and pour it into the oil?

Or, do I melt it with the oil at a very low temp, while stirring it together?

And, to clarify, am I starting with the Walnut oil, or the thickened Linseed?

Just being on the safe side! I can do this. I can do this.

Thank you!

SPURGEON:

October 10, 2012

Lead white makes a stronger paint film, and is less opaque. You might use titanium if you need its covering power. It is ten times more opaque than lead white, but the look of that painting is the lead white look. Titanium can be very “blank” in comparison.

I melt the wax into the oil.

I think I sent you slightly thickened linseed oil, pretty light in a round with a black cap, and a thicker walnut oil in a hexagon? Try the linseed oil, it will dry quickly. You can thin it if you need to but I think it will be fine as is. I can send you more.

Report in on anything that happens as you get going, especially if you don’t like it!

SPECTOR:

October 17, 2012

Dear Tad,

I hope you’re doing we’ll. is it cold where you are already? It’s still warm here and I’m missing the leaves changing color and any prospects for snow.

I finished the second layer of glaze. It’s tricky, like a puzzle. I’m not worrying to much about details yet.

I’ve read a lot about switching back and forth between cool and warm glaze layers. This was my cool layer. When this dries, I’ll bring her dress to red and sort out the other colors.

It’s very warm, rich and vibrant so far.

When should I start using the walnut oil? Or, should I use it at all?

It’s very difficult to photograph. It looks better in person, as most paintings do.

BTW, the Lucien Freud exhibit was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. Paintings from 1940-2011. Just sublime. I’m a huge fan.

Also, I stopped by The Kimball Museum, and they had a special 40th anniversary show. You’ll appreciate this….it was curated by date of acquisition. Seriously.  So there were Buddhas next to Miro’s next to Carravaggios…and so on and so forth. It was the weirdest show I’ve ever seen. I kind of liked it in a non-conformist sort of way.

I feel like writing the curator to do Museum Anatomy with art in their storage facilities, but instead of asking to work with pre19th century art, i want to ask to work with paintings acquired between 1975-1983.

Please point out any mistakes I’m making.

Thanks! Cheers, Laura

SPURGEON:

October 18, 2012

Dear Laura –

Thanks very much for the latest photos, I woke up in the middle of the night and one of the many things I wondered about was your painting!

It looks very good. Given the complexity of the situation, you are right to go slowly and ponder each step, so it always stays whole at each level.

As you develop the colour further, think in terms of the red-yellow-blue balance of a given area. In landscapes, for example, I’m always forgetting about pink. But it’s there. So, if an area is orange, it may need blue.  If an area is green, it may need red. This is an abstract way of looking at it, but colour can be hypnotizing.

 Here are two suggestions. The first is to bring some of the outlying areas more to the same level as the figures. The second is to drop the lightest areas down in value a little bit, so you can put some lighter paint on top of them. So, the lamb, the faces, come down in value in order for the subsequent brighter paint to have something to react with underneath. The tricky part about glazes is to develop the colour relationships fully before things get too dark and dramatic.

You can just keep using the linseed oil, I was concerned that it might dry too quickly but it’s a little cooler now. You can use a little lead white in a glaze to produce something that sort of shimmers. The same is true of a glaze with chalk, it will be a little foggy. This would be logical in the cool layer, but can be used whenever it feels right.

Yes, the more paintings get involved in translucency and layers, the more the pixels make arbitrary decisions. It’s sort of a complement, the machine can’t handle it

That’s great about the Freud exhibit, nothing is better than wandering around in a room full of work that is inspiring!…

Did you read the article about the cats in the Hermitage basement in the New Yorker? What an amazing underground world that must be. Of course, the practical purpose of the cats is not mentioned!

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/09/russias-museum-cats.html?mbid=gnep&google_editors_picks=true

It has been relatively nice here, on the sunny and mild side, the leaves are just starting to get brighter, not that bright this year, which is fine with me, I like the reds that are knocked back a little. Global warming has been good for Vermont in a way, Spring now exists, and Fall goes on longer. We are supposed to have snow this winter, which is good. There was almost no snow last winter, very sad somehow. Snow is also really good at purifying linseed oil because of all the ions it has in it. Oh boy!

Best, Tad

Figuring out how to make brushes fit behind the relief areas of the sculpture was another obstacle. Eventually, after trying to break and re-tape fine brushes to fit into the crevices, I decided on a combination of things. I found a brush that had a pre-constructed bend in the ferrule, creating an easier way to reach awkward areas. I also decided to give over and work with the sculpture, rather than fight with it. Chadwick and I agreed that some of the final area was to be left as it was cast (white), and I painted in the remaining areas that I could reach. This is similar to the body paintings. Obviously, I can reach any area in a body painting, because all areas can move, but typically when Chadwick’s arms fold over his body, they are hiding unpainted flesh.

I was really enjoying painting in the landscape areas in the background. I loved the tree, the dirt mound under the tree, and the light beginning to illuminate from the top right corner. I was still trying to work out how to paint the figure on the bottom left, the leg looked weird. The perspective on the leg was perplexing and both Chadwick and I spent a good deal of time looking at the image online that I was working from and guessing what it could be doing by assuming various postures. It was a happy moment, like winning a prize, when we finally figured it out.

Around this stage of painting, I found an article on the actual artwork I was recreating. The article had a photo of the original painting which was re-discovered in Scotland. Experts were trying to figure out if the work was created by Da Vinci. There were red dots, numbered 1-5, on top of the painting, which were supposed to be specific points of interest which experts used to determine that the painting was in fact an actual Da Vinci, and not a fake or a student work. However, of the nearly dozen articles I found on this painting online, none mentioned what the five numbered dots meant. I wrote the author of one of these articles from Yahoo news. His article was among the many ill-written, regurgitated articles rehashed filling web-content. I asked for his help to either inform me of what the red dots meant, or to give me a lead to an original article that included this particular content. I never heard back from him. So much for Internet journalism.

The following are some emails back and forth between myself and Tad Spurgeon, who by the way, is still continuing to help guide me on the current painting I am working on.

Note: Some of this correspondence is edited and it doesn’t accurately reflect where I was with the painting in the images above.

SPECTOR:
June 4, 2012

Dear Tad,

I hope you are well. I’ve been wanting to contact you for a while, but have had a handful of freelance jobs (mainly photography gigs), which have required way too much attention. I edited my last photos and am now on the trail of making some new art – or, at least experimenting with some new materials.

One gig I did a few weeks ago, was to demo Charvin oil paints for Jerry’s Artarama. As a result, I got to take home all the tubes of paint that were used during the demo. I have been enjoying the paint and have been playing around with their oils and mixing in marble dust (Frederix) to see how it looks. Their reds and oranges are beautiful – they glow all on their own.

I will admit, I haven’t gotten to the recipes of mixing in the marble dust – I just was playing around with it and put in varying degrees into the paint to get it out of my system and see what it does. I can see a slight difference with one glaze. I’m wondering how different it looks after several glazes?

I met the (a?) chemist from Gamblin. We spoke a bit and it turns out he was the same guy I used to write to from time to time while I was living in Thailand. Small world. It’s odd, I’m not sure if he’s just touting the paint – or, if he’s a chemist and not a painter….but, he told me he never recommends creating an underpainting of any sort. Obviously, to each his own – however, I was truly surprised to hear him say that. He didn’t feel that any sort of underpainting would later be an asset in helping to preserve a painting or create additional luminosity in the work. I don’t know how anyone can argue with the luminosity – or subtle variations for a more complex painting – or, just an easier time of creating a painting? I feel like I can obviously see the difference of a painting with or without an underpainting… We also spoke about their Turret (sp?) grey paint. Once a year, they clean out their turrets – which spin the paint with oils. Apparently, a lot of powdered pigment is leftover which they mix with oil and put in tubes to give out to retail stores on Earth Day. Each year, the paint is a bit different. I’m so interested to try it out. Sounds like it could be a great neutral color. Have you seen this?

In other news, I have continued casting. (Photo attached). The lighter white casts are nearly ready to be primed. I’m thinking about trying to add in marble dust to the plaster to see if I can get any more “glow” from the plaster before I add a prime coat.

SPURGEON:
June 6, 2012

…
Marble dust is going to be a little more opaque than chalk. If you use either one alone the paint will thicken, and get a little brighter. If you use them with thin oil, the paint will be more see-through, especially with chalk, but still dry matte. It can be saturated on top, though, with thicker oil. Or, you can use a putty made with thicker oil, a small amount, say ten percent, this will saturate the paint from within, making it glow more.

So, there are lots of things that you can do that depend on the type of stone dust, and the oil mix.
…
I don’t know about alginates. The only thing I was thinking about with the plaster was adding PVA or an acrylic medium to make it more stable over time. There are lots of things cast this way now, even with plain stone dust mixed with acrylic or PVA binder.

I love the casts, and the idea, can’t wait to see what happens.

…

One of my favorite things at the Met is the Cycladic harpist, a sculpture on the first floor, on the right as you head to the Pompeii frescoes. I love this guy, alabaster I think, really simple and goofy, kind of Mayan looking in a way. They also have some great Vermeers, if you stand with your hands behind your back you can get closer before the guards get nervous. In the American wing, they have a very nice big Twachtman landscape, very simple, and I also love Eaton’s Neck by Kensett. Sort of dwarfed by the work around it, but a very cosmic landscape. They may have changed things, it’s been a while since I was there. You might also look over their Rembrandts for some putty ideas.

…

It’s hard that there is so much dumb art. But America is visually pretty backward still. I was rereading Diderot the other day and was again struck by how evolved the concept of a painting was at the time. The same with the early Renaissance, someone like Piero della Francesca, these people were really thinking about images in the greater context of life. Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living, but really, they get lived all the time. And the unexamined life wants to see unexamined art!

SPECTOR:
August 5, 2012

Dear Tad,

It’s been ages since I’ve caught up with you. I hope you had a great summer – very productive.

I think since last time I wrote, I visited NYC and have been immersed in my photography day job. Which, is taking an interesting turn as I’ve become very interested in medical photography as a great resource for future paintings. I’ve been speaking with physicians to see if they’d be interested in trading photos for allowing me to document surgical procedures. They’re all very excited about the idea, I just need to now convince the Medical Directors of various hospitals to get paperwork in motion.

I’ve never been an “emotional” painter, or one that relays dreams on canvas…nor narratives..I’ve never really fit into the more esoteric, subjective world of painters. I always wished I did…but, on the flipside, I’m grateful to have found a subject I love working from, which includes all of those types of paintings. But, I have a feeling I could do something with the world of medicine. I love photographing doctors – and, I suspect surgeries are fascinating (as long as it isn’t me having one!). I love the environment doctors work in – it’s mesmerizing. My favorite doctors so far have been the spine surgeons – I’ve photographed 6 of them so far. I’m still hoping to photograph a brain surgeon. And, I’m really hoping to see one of their surgeries first hand. They usually last upwards of 16 hours. I can’t help but think of Thomas Eakins – who has always been one of my favorites. To my knowledge, not many people are painting doctors or surgeries these days…probably because of so many privacy laws.

And, imagine the color palette!!!!

NYC was blissful. We caught the last few days of perfect weather and met up with some friends we knew from Thailand. The 8 hours at the Met flew by and felt more like 8 minutes. They have a German Renaissance show up with one of my favorites, Lucas Cranach (Kranach). It was wonderful. And, my favorite El Greco (his self portrait) was back in it’s place. Last time I was there, it was on loan. I took the opportunity to look closely at paint. The application, the structure, the colors…It was the best place to study. I love that museum.

During the summer, I’ve continued experimenting with making casts with Chadwick. Our largest one was a full leg with foot. We have about 8 of these so far. They were primed two weeks ago, and we have adhered one to a primed board tonight using a resin epoxy. It has to cure for 24 hours, then we’ll drill pilot holes and screw it in place from behind. This will finally…finally…be where I get to put my painting knowledge to the test. I’m still reading through your book…bookmarking pages and sorting out recipes to start this very big test. I’m really excited about it.

A few weeks back, we did one of our paintings on the body – I felt so out of practice. It goes to show that all the talking, reading and writing about painting will never be a substitute for just putting paintbrush to surface and practicing. Lesson learned. So, I’ve been doing anything I can to find reasons to dip a brush into paint and just go through the motions.

I’ve attached what I know is a kind of embarrassing painting – though, a decent-enough practice sketch. My goal was to create a fast oil sketch just to try to recalibrate my eyes to my hand. I gave myself 4 hours and whatever colors of paint I had in front of me – no searching for colors.

Kind of a silly way to start a painting….but, It was good to get it out of my system. The result is an “oil sketch” of a psychiatrist I photographed for work. As I was photographing him, I was thinking his face was made more for paint than for a camera. I plan on giving it to him this week. He has no idea I did this. And, we only met briefly. Should be kind of a freaky, wonderful surprise for him. Then again, since he’s a Psychiatrist, he’ll probably try to determine what’s wrong with me for doing this. Back story on the Dr. – he’s an old art collector (not of my style of work, but of Pop art – so, the terrible colors I used will work perfectly for his aesthetic! ).

Painting is attached. I debated sending it to you, but thought at least you may get a kick out of it on some level.

I hope you’re doing well. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to. Are you working on anything new these days? By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, how many canvases do you have going at the same time while you’re glazing? And, how long do you wait between layers of glaze?

Tonight, I’m projecting the next few paintings on Chadwick’s body. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON:
August 7, 2012

Dear Laura –

It is great to hear from you.

The surgery idea is very interesting, and of course goes back to Rembrandt as well. Doctors tend to like painting, also be able to pay for it, and you’d have all kinds of interest critically. I think it’s sort of important to be both passionate and dispassionate at once. I know what you mean about subjective and esoteric, it can get to be a code with no meaning, a hall of mirrors. Having tried all kinds of things, now I just want to understand clouds and trees. Are these prosaic items? Well, they can be taken for granted, but that doesn’t mean they are comprehended. And I feel a passion for this, similar to what you’re describing about the world of surgery. Also, they are very therapeutic, outside the self, not within it.

I like that painting, it is more modern for you, kind of a Marsden Hartley feel. The off-center face is great, and he’s looking to the left too, very nervy! I think you did a great job with the time constraints of capturing a personality, it feels honest, not merely flattering. I think you just have this quality of penetration to the real, but it is not something everybody has. The truth is a very powerful communication tool! He seems both compassionate but more than somewhat disturbed by all he has heard. I like the idea of working different ways, different methods seem to inform one another. You may well find a market for this type of work, but also may not want it, that has happened to me a few times.

When you get to the point of painting, we can talk in detail about what you want to do. I think the major issue is how many layers, and what you want to accomplish in each one. But, you are organized, and this will be a huge help. Since you talked about glowing and glazing, the key here is to keep the initial layers a little light or airy. Then the last layers have some thicker oil to keep them glowing. If you use walnut oil this will stay open longer, which you might like for finishing. I have lots of thicker walnut oil and would be glad to contribute some to the effort. Burnt plate oil does this too, but even a little takes forever to dry, so would need to be used with a fast drying linseed oil. Or, you could develop the same final layer all week, which can be interesting.

I’ve been working on an emulsion putty, oil with fumed silica and chalk, then something thick in water, a small amount. It is similar to mayonnaise, and can be done with egg yolk on panel. This is something that started for me with an addition of gum Arabic gel. Then I went to starch, a little in water. Now it’s methyl cellulose, because this is the most thixotropic.

So, this stuff moves but stays put, has apparent density but also mobility. It is a non-toxic substitute for a thicker leaded oil or a mastic gel. The idea is that adding a little water makes the putty seize, and putting the water in something stretchy makes things more lively. I like it for the more charismatic approach to realism, it’s nice for keeping landscapes from getting too finicky. You might like it at some point thinned down, once you get a system going. Photo below of the medium, it gets made in a food processor

You can have lots of work going at once working in layers. Um, lots I got fed up with finishing things to order but am now trying to address “finished” again. It seems to move around a lot for me, but I do know it when I see it. Something real, but with meaning. Using quality oil, you don’;t have to wait too long between layers, they are thin. Just long enough so that what’s underneath will not be dissolved again. If you have a several pieces going, you can do a layer on one or two a day, then cycle back to the first after a week or so. Even three or four days is enough. But, the day after it dries can semi-dissolve what’s underneath.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR:
August 15, 2012

Hi Tad,

I hope you are well.

I’m getting ready to write you back, but wanted to send you a photo of my primed canvas.
(Finally!)

Sorry for the separate email, I’m sending it from my iPad and there’s no way to attach a photo to a “reply” email.

What you are looking at in the photo:

The foot and hands are actual size, cast from Chadwick. The final casts are plaster that has been set out to dry for about 3 months. The panel,(also an experiment), is a Pre-made gessoed board by a local company. We spoke with the maker of the board (also the owner of the company), so we could match our primer.

The cast was primed with about 4 layers of gesso and lightly sanded/wiped down between each layer, trying to preserve details.

A 2-in-1 epoxy was used to cement the plaster cast to the board. All glue is under the surface of the cast, with no accidents/glue to paint over…very tidy job. As an old professor used to say in class, “Nobody wants to see your sloppy glue work.” A statement stamped in my brain for eternity.

We contacted the manufacturers of both the plaster and the alginate to see about drilling through the back of the board and into the plaster for a more secure mount. Both gave the same reply, “not necessary with the glue we’re using, and very tricky”. So, we just stuck to glue. (no pun intended;) ).

All primed, dry and ready for paint. That’s the next email.

Also, I just went to Ikea, and for $50 bought the cutest steel paint cart I’ve ever seen. It was disguised as a kitchen cart, but it really was made to hold oil paint, mediums and brushes in its 3 shelves on coaster wheels. I’ll send a picture later.

More soon,
Laura

SPURGEON:
August 15, 2012

Hi Laura –

That cast is amazing, I love the look it has, thanks so much. I really think it’s stunning.

So, what kind of gesso did you use? Will the paint slide, or stick?

I’ve been rummaging around trying to get more organized too, spent a fruitless morning at the unpainted furniture store. What I need is wide shelves to put work on, I’m going to have to make them.

Excited to hear more about the next step,

Tad

SPECTOR:
August 18, 2012

Dear Tad,

First of all, thank you so much for responding with such kind words to my painting of the Dr. I appreciated what you had to say. I did a series of “3-hour portraits” when I was in Thailand, focusing on authors and journalists. They came into my studio and I painted them. I had an exhibition of 20 of these works at The Writers Pub in Thailand and everyone I painted showed up. They all remarked how I made them look a bit older, but they all said the paintings “felt” like them. Their friends also said the same thing. They’re not the greatest paintings. Which is just as well, since termites ate them before I moved. I’m sure I would execute them very differently if I were to do that same project again. Here’s a link to what they looked like: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.61146068523.88567.715593523&type=3&l=3b9dd15e6e

I miss my factory studio space, (the first photo of the link), which was $150 a month. UGH!

I also have interesting news…I was called by a surgeons office last week and it looks like I’ll be photographing my first surgery next Wednesday. I’ll let you know how that goes. I’m terrified I’m going to pass out at the first cut. I need to beckon Joseph Wright and Thomas Eakins! (Bigger fan of Wright)

I ran across this guy’s work yesterday. It’s vaguely similar to what I have in mind: http://hifructose.com/2012/08/17/the-art-of-jonathan-yeo/

And, thank you for your kind words about the mounted cast. Now, I need to try not to screw up the rest of it…meaning, the painting. I’m keeping in mind that this is all a test. It could go terribly awry, but I’d rather find out now than 20 years from now. I’ve already spent since December corresponding with you, and reading your book. And, since January casting the body with different materials…I’ve already spent a lot of time and research, and haven’t even gotten to the meat of the creation yet! Patience may prove to be a good virtue for the sake of a solid work of art!

Needless to say, I am ready to paint!

I think the gesso will stick the paint. How can I tell? I’ve tried to sand it down to a smooth surface, and naturally the plaster cast has a bit of a different feel/grit to it than the panel below. I didn’t make the gesso, but it came highly recommended from the folks at Jerry’s and from the guy who made the panel. I’m going to trust them, if for nothing else, that I can just start moving forward with the experiment. Of course, I know that I may want to change the gesso out in later casts, but for now, I’m going to trust this will do the trick.

I had a look at the paintings at The Blanton Art Museum last week. Not my favorite museum by any stretch of the imagination. (Perhaps one of the worst I’ve been to come to think of it.) Many of the paintings in their collection are mainly sketches or still under paintings that are starting to become color blocked.

Most painters were making tonal paintings. I couldn’t tell if it was oil paint or egg tempera. The color was earthy…burnt siennas/burnt umbers. Very dark. Then, it looked like they made outlines/sketches using burnt umber and built out color blocking with neutralized paints from there. Most were not finished, so it’s hard to tell where they would have gone with it in final layers of glaze.

BTW, the Lucas Kranach (Cranach?) paintings I saw at the Met, had really bright colors. Does this mean he didn’t neutralize his paint? Or, have they just been better restored? They weren’t neon-looking like some restored paintings, (Which I think look as if their final glaze was removed and not restored. Why would they spend so much time working on a painting to just leave the fine flesh details off? Makes me think the restoration team didn’t complete the final layer)

Last time you wrote, you recommended I start with a light underpainting. What colors would you recommend for a palette to lay down the underpainting?

I think I’m going to start directly with oils instead of egg tempera, mainly for the sake of time with this first experiment. There will be plenty of opportunities for me to work with egg tempera. (Today, I’m casting Chadwick’s head and that will ultimately turn into another painting.)

I think for this first painting, I want to focus on experimenting with putty, oils and whatever I add in the final layers – whether marble dust, calcite or chalk…

I’m still not sure about which painting I’ll be recreating onto the cast just yet.

I’ll start with the underpainting and then would love to work with you on this layer by layer to see what will work with this combination on both plaster and panel. That is, if you’re up for it?

If so, I’ll try to work as closely as I can to what you recommend. I have Gamblin, Charvin (only the extra-fine paints in this brand are good) and Williamsburg paints to start with. If this first experiment goes well, I can look into investing into higher-quality handmade paints from the websites you recommended to me a while back. I’ll also be interested in purchasing pigments for egg tempera at that time as well.

I’ll send you a photo of the image I’ll be recreating once it’s chosen. I plan on carving out time starting on Wednesday to begin the underpainting.

You mentioned you had some extra walnut oil you might be able to send my way? I’d be super-grateful and would love to use it/test it out.

Thanks so much for all of your guidance and help with this so far. I’m truly appreciative. I’ve been telling a lot of people about you and what you do. I’ve sent many people to your website as well. And, have mentioned on more than one occasion to peers and students that I consider you my painting mentor. I hope that’s ok with you?

Thanks again!
Laura

SPECTOR:
August 21, 2012

Dear Tad,

I hope you are well.

I’ve attached a photo of the painting I think we’ll be recreating onto the cast/panel.
I thought this would help with ideas and communication.

For future cast paintings, I have a good mind to recreate some really whacked out Biblical-ish stories I’ve been reading about coming from textbooks in Louisiana public schools…the kinds where dinosaurs walked with man and dragons may have existed. There’s even one which says there’s scientific evidence for the Loch Ness monster. Have you heard about these?

http://m.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/07/photos-evangelical-curricula-louisiana-tax-dollars

They’d all make fantastic allegorical paintings created in a classical style.

Anyhow, for now the one attached is what we’ll be using for the test subject. It’s intimidating, but I’m ready to go.

Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON:
August 22, 2012

Dear Laura –

That painting will be tremendously elegant on that cast, can be done with a very small palette.

I had no idea about the special curriculum, thank you. It is a different world!

How do you want to approach the painting part now in terms of layers and ingredients?

Best, Tad

SPURGEON:
August 23, 2012

Dear Laura –

Sorry to be late, this one got a little buried!

That’s wild that you get to photograph a surgery. Wow, hope it’s the start of a great direction.

Boy, those paintings on Hi Fructose are intense. Yikes. Really well done but absolutely terrifying.

The gesso from Jerry’s is probably non-absorbent. This is the only thing to be concerned about: will be initial layer of paint move, or will it stick. Since you sanded it, it will be a little grippier, but not much. So, the paint itself can be a little thick, with chalk or marble dust, so it holds better.

For the painting you chose, the logical underpainting would be cool, because the painting itself is so warm. So, you could just do it in black and white, make pale grays. But, this is pretty chilly! So, you might want to do the red earth, yellow earth, black and white approach. This is the tetrachromatikon of ancient Greek painting, this is what inspired Rembrandt to use these colours. But again, I’d keep it pale, just map it accurately, so you can deepen the colours as you go to give that great optical quality. You could also do black and white first, then the tetrachromatikon, then the real colours. That would be very OM! If you like the overall feel of it, you can always glaze it down, making the colour deeper and brighter. I think you like this look…

With this painting, because it is somewhat lower chroma, you want to be able to emphasize the colours you’ve got. That painting can be done with a very small palette: black, phthalo or prussian blue, burnt sienna, maybe a little mars red, but you might like Pyrol red better, raw Sienna or Trans Mars Yellow, maybe yellow ochre, and white. You might want to use lead white to begin, then cut it with titanium to finish.

If you do egg tempera, do it with rabbit skin glue gesso underneath. You might also be able to paint directly on the plaster. This would be utterly unforgiving, until the plaster was covered, but very fast.

There were tons of older ways of making paintings, it was so compartmentalized by location. Cranach was early enough that he was making everything himself. This generation of work from northern Europe always looks great, sparkles, I saw a Bosch that looked like it had just left the easel. And this can’t be restoration, there wasn’t enough paint on it to begin with. The great longevity is partly the panels, but it is also that they are operating outside the great financial constraints that slowly crept in later. They are usually entranced by pure colour because it was so rare and so riveting. They are also painting very thinly with a thicker oil because the pure colour is expensive. So, it is a different feeling, perhaps Holbein is the last of these painters. With restoration, it depends on who did it and when. It is getting so much better, but the best restorers are working for the best museums.

With the idea of chalk, marble dust, etc, I recently had an interesting experience. Put a very full layer of paint on a sky study, just tried to finish it. Then, went back in and glazed over this ever so slightly textured paint. The look was very nice, because the glaze layer wasn’t flat, it behaved differently according to the topography underneath it. This is tricky, you don’t want too much texture, just a little.

Yes, I’d be very happy to work with you on this layer by layer. It is such an elegant idea. I am appreciative that you are doing something this interesting!

I will send you a package of stuff with explanations. You are still at the same address as before?

I know you are going to document this stage by stage, but, please do! When you are ready I would like to talk about what you are doing. Maybe when this one is done, maybe the next one, whenever it feels okay.

Best, Tad

SPECTOR:
August 24, 2012

Dear Tad,

Thank you so much for all of this information and your willingness to walk me through this.

I just searched through all of my paint tubes and was amazed at what my vast collection is lacking!

I have set aside the ones that are on your list that I already own, they are either made by Gamblin or are the Super Fine Oil by Charvin.

I have a couple of questions regarding color. But, first after reading what you wrote and digging around more in your book, this is what I think I want to do…

1. Draw out the image on the cast in light pencil 6H
2. Underpaint in a cool grayscale, staying toward the light side of things – mixing marble dust (because I already have it…) into the paint to make sure it sticks to the gesso used. (How much marble dust?/Consistency of what it should look like? Not sure.
3. I love the idea of the tetrachromatikon and will go with that method for color blocking/developing the painting
4. Glazing to get the real colors

My color questions so far:

1. For black to use in the gray scale…Should I use a chromatic black? (ultramarine blue + burnt umber)? Or, do you suggest a specific black? In this case, I think Ivory or Mars? I have a gorgeous black made by Williamsburg “Cold Black” that I can also use. Or, I have Payne’s Gray, which isn’t black, but sticking with the theory of a light value scale, this may serve a purpose for an underpainting?

2. I am missing Pyrol and Mars Red from my collection. And, they are not on the list brochure for either Gamblin or Charvin. Which means it’s doubtful my local paint store (Jerry’s Artarama) carries it. Any idea of a place I can order it from?

3. Same problem with Trans Mars Yellow. Nowhere to be found.

4. I have Titanium, but am missing lead white. I do have flake, which I read was used in paintings from that time period, though it apparently is more transparent but keeps it’s brightness. Any thoughts on Flake?

5. These are colors I came across which I’m not sure if they can be used:

6. Gamblin makes a mixture called, “Titanium Zinc White” any thoughts on what this is used for?

7. Hansa Yellow Deep by Gamblin – Gamblin says it makes a more intense secondary color than Cadmiums. Is this something I could use in lieu of Trans Mars Yellow?

8. Finally, I have Quinacridone Red from Gambline. I think I purchased this about 2 years ago after reading it was used in Italian Renaissance paintings. Do you know anything about this, or if it will be useful for this particular painting?

I think that’s all my questions so far. Just trying to organize the palette.

Would you ever mix more than one powder in one painting? I’m defaulting to marble dust because I have 2 gigantic bags of Frederix dust that I have on hand. I’m not opposed to getting more powder – especially if it won’t be used until glazing layers. (I’ll have time for it to be delivered while I work).

THANK YOU!! I’m very excited to start on this and your encouragement and help is priceless.

SPURGEON:
August 24, 2012

Dear Laura –

You may or may not want or need marble dust for the first pass. You might have it available and dip the brush into it if the paint is sliding around too much.

1. The bluest black is good, I like ivory, the Williamsburg might be good for this too. Not a huge deal, but Mars black varies, can be on the brown side. Umber has a tendency to darken over time, you can get a good dark neutral with ultramarine and burnt Sienna. Another good combination is ultramarine, pyrol red, and trans mars yellow. This is nice because you can vary it so much.

2&3. If Jerry’s has Blockx, they have a trans mars yellow and a pyrol crimson they call red lake. Sorry, you don’t want pyrol red, that’s like cadmium red. The crimson is more like alizarin. You can use alizarin if you have it.

4. Flake is lead white, so you’re set there. It may need to be thinned a little, can be dense depending on who makes it. Flake will hold the next layer better.

5. Zinc makes a brittle paint film over time but this will not be an issue for the cast.

6. Quinacradone Red is modern, very similar to Rose Madder except quite hot and pure. You could use this instead of Pyrol Red, knock it back with a little burnt sienna or trans mars brown.

7. You could use that Hansa Yellow but it will need to be knocked back a lot. You might look on the side of the tube for the pigment. Some of these yellows are more permanent than others.

http://www.artiscreation.com/yellow.html

This place above has amazing pigment info, everything.

Yes, you can mix all kinds of stuff up but it typically isn’t necessary. The most important thing here is getting a system set up and fine tuned that you like. If you have a really good raw Sienna you can substitute that for the Trans Mars Yellow, but TMY is a very important colour, the darkest yellow and transparent, a lion colour, great for shadows.

SPECTOR:
August 25, 2012
Dear Tad,

Thanks for the info. I’m going to purchase the two colors I’m missing: Trans Mars Yellow and Pyrol Alizarin. I do have Alizarin, but not sure how old it is or who the actual manufacturer was (I think I picked it up in Bali and it has a bunch of Chinese writing on the tube…probably made with deadly chemicals).

I’ll use the Cold Black by Williamsburg for the underpainting, along with the Flake white and stay more towards the light end of things.

Do you recommend using any turps to thin out the paint for the underpainting?

Do you recommend starting with a broad color wash over the entire primed surface before starting? If so, which color would you recommend?

One question i have for you is if you’ve ever worked with Verdaccio for the underpainting?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verdaccio

I’ve been reading up on this method instead of grisaille. And, I’m curious to know your take on this. It seems that it was used mainly on Frescos during the Italian Renaissance, which is the time period the painting I’m recreating comes from. Though, this was a panel painting, not a fresco.

I know Bouguereau championed this technique. And, I also know you’ve told me it’s a good idea to switch back and forth between cool and warm.

Should this be a technique I should look into? Or, in your opinion should I stick to the plan of a cool black and white underpainting?

BTW, the recipe I have for Verdaccio is Yellow Ochre mixed with Ivory Black to get a scale of flesh greens. Of course, used on a value scale with I guess…Flake white?

Thanks!
Cheers,
Laura

SPURGEON:
August 25, 2012
Dear Laura –

Wow, Chinese oil paint. I corresponded with someone in Shanghai once about making paint. They were hugely confident, hugely in a hurry, hugely in need of basic information, it was pretty funny.

I think the colour wash is going to screw things up in terms of efficiency. There are Titians and Rembrandts on midtone grounds, but these paintings have either lots of layers, lots of paint, or both. This approach juxtaposes warm and cool from the beginning, so the dialogue between warm and cool is inherent. But, it takes a lot of paint, or a lot of layers. Your original is painted thinly and finely, the logical way to approach this is with thin layers on a white ground, one expanding movement from cool to warm in the layers. It’s also logical for the paint to be thin and fine since you have such an animated ground.

Verdaccio is a way of making the underpainting less cool, more applicable to portraits. Trans Mars Yellow is good for this instead of yellow ochre, darker and transparent. Bouguereau was involved with that cool cobalt sfumato thing so it’s logical he would want something warmer underneath. You will be able to warm it up in layer two, but verdaccio is easier to look at, more natural looking. On the other hand, the painting itself is so warm that a cooler underpainting seems like a good idea. Starting with burnt Sienna and white would not work for this, things would clog chromatically. I don’t think this is a big deal one way or the other. The main thing is to keep the whole thing on the light and cool side so that you can glaze it down in the final layer. Glazing is also inherently warm.

You are a very good technical painter and you have good instincts for this. The more you do it, the more you’ll see ways to tweak each layer for the layer that goes on top. But it’s hard to see all this from the beginning, only so much can be on the floor plan, the building has a different set of issues.

I’ll get that oil off to you on Monday morning.

Best, Tad

SPURGEON:
August 27, 2012
Hi Laura –

I sent some oils out to you today, a relatively thick walnut oil and some of the linseed oil that I refine, exposed to the air so it’s just a little thicker. The linseed oil will dry pretty quickly. The walnut oil will create saturation in small amounts, maybe 5 to 10% added to the paint before painting, then thin with regular oil. There’s enough walnut oil to play around with it, it makes the paint set or tug more, and gives a great gloss. You might want to thin the thick walnut oil with thin walnut oil so it stays open longer for the finbal layer. Of course, the final layer doesn’t have to be final, but a second day of working the same paint can be very nice.

I’ve been thinking that you can make the final layer of that painting with three colours: trans mars yellow, pyrol crimson, and phthalo or Prussian blue, and a little white. A real earth colour like burnt sienna might be good too, more grounding.

Best, Tad