Friday, August 28, 2009

"Afternoon Thugs" in Progress

"We fritter away our lives with detail...simplify, simplify." Henry David Thoreau
That statement describes my life well and is easy to recognize but difficult to do [in a painting].
Above, value is doing most of the work simplifying the forms and capturing the essence of the figures. Subtle contrasts create strong light allowing the light and shadow to describe the figures. I kept the palette simple, leaving color vague and earthy. I chose pigments that when mixed would make strong heavy darks, and alone would vary the temperature, transparency, intensity and texture of color in the shadows. Burnt Sienna, Brown Madder, Ultramarine Blue, Manganese Blue, Thalo Blue, Alizarin Crimson.

1 comment:

Elizabeth Seaver said...

And for those who know--they were painted in front of the fabulous Carl's Ice Cream! Looking good, Ariel! (I'm back!)