Today I was an early riser. The first thing I did was go to the studio and get out the paints. I wanted colors to use to create the look of copper for the figure. So I chose a light brown, a bright orange, a bright yellow and a greenish blue. Not sure if I want to tell you the exact pigments I used. I like to keep some secrets plus I will want to write about them in my newsletter. Also, giving you the types of colors will let you try the effect with colors you may already have. So will keep them to myself for now.
Even though the background is sill wet, it has set overnight. It will transfer if touched, but not wipe off easily.
I had the figure sketched out so I began at the lower left shoulder area. It was one of the larger areas so it was a good place to play around with mixing the colors. I mixed everything right on the canvas. I wanted to keep the colors bright and vibrant. I also kept them more orangy than red or green - I like the contrast with the background. I put down dabs of the brown and orange then mixed in dabs of yellow and blue. I also dabbed in some purple here and there to unify the figure with the background. It is not obvious but it is there and does add some subtle harmony. Once I got the 'mixture' that I liked down, I softened it a little. Then I moved on and did each of the other areas.
I put in subtle shadows to give form and some of the cast shadows. Once the ribbons are in I can add more highlights and shadows if I decide I want them. I will let the figure 'set up' for a while and think about which colors I will use for the ribbons. I have a guide with my sketch but it is just a guide. Will keep you posted when I play with it again.
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