Modeling the image (sculpting the background to work with)

First for this Project I start by giving color to the base impasto coat, I used basically Payne´s grey and orange mixed with cerulean blue selectively, mapping out the composition in accordance high tone and direction of lines building up the texture, mixing color makes it easy to see your subject after the impasto médium has dried. scratching back into the paint with a palette knife fork, comb or the end of your brush
Then I add warm color in accordance this Project
White for highligths.-  and the painting is finished
(cons.- the acrylic White disolve it easly so I need to use White oil médium to reinforce the needed color) ref PO635

                                 Ref PO635

"Beauty without expression is nothing"

Mapping Shapes;
I started mapping shapes using a monochrome color plaste within another monochrome wáter colored background to refine as worked with .- undercolor paste has proved to be quite useful to work from dark to ligth and then with acrylic again do it the same refining darks first, to finally define with ligth color, "block in as needed" surronding the figure was the key to maintaining figure´s impact as a centre of interest care had to be taken not too focus to much on surrounded details, yet still render it convincingly. this is an excersice ref PO632 previous to a new painting in which I´ll give three passes from dark to clear by three different médiums in order to give and keep ligth as much as posible

                 Ref PO632 the wild horse

 

  There is something about the outside of a horse that is

 good for the inside of a man

 

Balancing shape and color
For this particular painting, I put equal emphasis on both color and shape in order to achieve what I feel to be a certain authenticity an appropiate approach for the elephants I choose to work with.
Some few shades of color into a composition can strengthen the emphasis on form which is something I find important while minimizing the risk of distraction
I tried to strive for a harmony of color in this painting
This painting has as reference a dark photograph exposing certain details from which I took some advantage to work with nevertheless I have to check another photographs to suggest, as I wanted to 
The background with several dark shapes is made in order to balance the elephants shape, spoiling the ilusión of distance given more importance to color than details ref.- PO631


                                      Ref PO631 "La Mamá elefante"

                           No influence is so powerful as that of the mother

Design in oil painting through key elements
After getting the idea and determining the subject matter, my next step is to concéntrate in the design, it can make a work successful or not
First.- is to difusse the details to see only the large basic shapes thru and within  4 sides of the canvas regarding ligth and dark pattern
Second.- Underpainting by middle key hue (mid value of common objects)watching and keeping the ligthest color)
third.-Starting developing shapes painting the dark áreas with glazes indicating the form as a dark accent
fourth.- After adding several glazes I add impasto as opaque paint to some of the ligthest áreas to indicate its edge and definition to bring it into focus adding balance
Fifth.- paint details to create illusion of 3D modeling forms defining and loosing to separate shapes under movement for this particular design also raising or lower values to melt color into the background
Hint.- the different pigments needs to be checked for transparency in order to make good glazings

Although it´s important to keep the painting idea firmly in mind you still have to be receptive enough to let the canvas "talk" to you while you working on it

Ref CO630

 

             “Thinking is the worst mistake that a dancer can make.
                      You don´t have to think, you have to feel”

Suggestion of detail through highligths:
I start with a basic block-in of accurate color harmony, adding darks throughout, this has the effect of focusing the light more to the center of interest, where I want it; then I start light color intensity defining through underpainting, refining main shapes all along, if I need I accentuate some darks around otherwise I call it done


                                      Ref CO629

Focus of interest;
For this excersize. ref.PO628;  I began by focusing on the face, the natural interest point, I´ve found that once the correct form and expression has been given to the face, it´s as if the largest and most challenging hurdle has been crossed and I can proceed "safely" paying close attention to enhancing the face by drawing and painting the remaining details and background with a consistent level of focus and precisión

                                    Ref PO628

Storyteller
Tell stories thru paintings, bringing a story to life by a painting médium make me feel more creative, it´s not the technique or tools, but final image that counts. To this end my approach often varies with each painting depending of desired final look. sometimes I will across a photography That I will use for inspiration, combining with drawings from here and there to make it more exciting,
On the following painting ref CO627 I started with a dark wash, to make more easy the ligth color to show up
Once the first wash dries I begin to build up the darks, I build up the acrylics in quick thin layers, I like to paint out the darks with the oils but for this particular painting I worked with just acrylic as an sketch to see how does I can reproduce the rain and windy effect with the lightest White color at the end

                                     Ref CO627