Following up on action points from Assignment 1 feedback

WHAT?

I read the recommended blog post on the Zorn palette, and also found a series of 4 articles on it in the Artists & Illustrators Magazine (beginning with the Summer 2020 palette) by Ann Witheridge of London Fine Art Studios.

SO WHAT?

 I experimented with colour mixing as suggested in the articles by making a colour chart using egg tempera and these colours: Zinc White, Ivory Black, Naples Yellow and Alizarin Crimson.  I started with the raw colour at the top of each column then added white each time as I progressed. This particular combination was good for flesh colours; the browns ended up quite purply and a picture needing a lot of blues would need to substitute the black for a blue, as mentioned in the article.

NOW WHAT?

I shall try using the Zorn palette for some paintings.

********************************************************************************

WHAT?

I wanted to look at the preparatory drawings by some of the painters my tutor suggested. Purpose was threefold:

• Read about and observe their drawing style in terms of line and tone
• Try some drawings using something like their style
• Make a painting from my drawing, as suggested by my tutor

Factors to remember:

• Use different tools and gestures
• Focus on tone
• Remember: “decisive and economic”

SO WHAT?

I looked at drawings by Frank Auerbach; for example, this one of the author of a recently-acquired book about his life and work: Lampert, Catherine, 2015, “Frank Auerbach, Speaking and Painting”. Thames & Hudson, London.

  “Head of Catherine Lampert”

1985

Charcoal and chalk on paper

76.2 x 76.2 cm

Private collection

He seems to go over the drawing again and again, adding and then removing, as if trying to get the essence of the sitter into his head.

I had a go on paper, using a Conte crayon grey roughly shaded background and willow charcoal to draw with, plus a putty rubber to remove.

Even though mine is quite scribbly, it’s still “neat” by comparison. It’s the photograph of Auerbach from the front cover of the book.

My next step was to try and paint solely from my drawing – I’ve only rarely done this before, usually having photographic backup or the actual object in front of me, so thought this would be a good test of my drawing/looking.

Also, even though the book cover was in black and white, I wanted to add some colour and use my Zorn palette.

And I wanted to give my new oil long-handled brushes an outing, but this time using them with my left (non-dominant) hand to develop control.

I laid out my Zorn palette, light to dark, with water mixable oils: Titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium red, black.

Using black and white and a dilute mix, I laid a loose ground onto primed board using broad vertical and horizontal strokes.

The painting of the figure was done using undiluted paint. I worked quickly, trying to make marks decisive – it went well for a while until I came to the mouth, which is where my portraits often fall apart, and this was the case here. The trouble in fact was with my drawing – I had not indicated the tones around the mouth correctly, but when I tried to paint them in accordance with the drawing, I could see it wasn’t right and fell to tinkering to try and make it better. When I came downstairs again and looked at the book cover, I could see immediately what my issue was.

NOW WHAT?

I learned a lot there!

• If you’re going to paint solely from a drawing, then get the drawing right!!
• And then, trust your drawing – I can see bits where I haven’t (e.g. the darkness of the hair on the left)
• If a painting’s going wrong, trust your gut to put it right, but DON’T FIDDLE
• I have been decisive in places, but I’ve not always been economic
• The Zorn palette definitely works for portraits
• I am better at being decisive with my left hand because I have to concentrate on each mark as I worry I lack the control over a long handled brush; when I’m unsure of what I’m painting, I kept catching myself reverting to the right hand and moving the hand nearer the ferrule, and that’s where I fiddled.

**********************************************************************************