StudioEye*: Inside the Artist's Studio

Steps 10-on: Painting the Art Deco painting

 

Click on each image to enlarge
then click Back in your browser
Step 10 Background washes in oil paint: Jacqui paints the tonal and colour underpainting.

Note that this is only the underpainting, which sets the tonal contrast of the painting, and will be painted over completely with the details in the following layers of paint.
This is where the client must close their eyes and trust - the finished beautiful work of art will not look anything like the childish underpainting!

 Artists are used to seeing this stage and knowing that the final painting on top will match the beautiful vision they are holding in their mind!
Step 11 Begin painting details: add more depth of colour
Another layer: details in the background curtains and drapes finished; revise display arch at left to be a place for another lovely art deco sculpture. The background layer is always dark; lighter colours are painted over the top at the last stage to lighten it up.
Aiming to achieve a warm lighting glow to the scene: see this starting in the glow of the drapes hanging above the curtains.
The oil paint medium is lovely to work with; the only disadvantage is that it takes ages to dry between coats (and it is stinky while wet!). So the painting process takes longer than with acrylics. Acrylics take only minutes hours to dry between coats, whereas oils can take days and weeks.
The background is completely finished... this is the hardest part done, getting all the colour balance and lighting effects, layers of glazing waiting for the paint to dry between coats. Each part of the background has around 10 layers of paint. The colours have been designed to suit the purple, golden timber, and icy aqua colours of the lounge room the painting will decorate!
Now all that's left to do is the fun part: adding in lots of little people having fun everywhere! Lots of delicious fashion & musicians!
Final drawing of details sketched in. The working sketches for the orchestra and the sculpture are hanging over the top.

The overall composition leads the eye from the bottom left, up across to the top right then circling down around to the centre.

The perspective gives the illusion of a really large, grand space in the ballroom.
See next page >>