Studio Update!

What a week, it seems like a lifetime since I wrote a blog post, but it's only been a week, so what have I been up to you may ask.  I will start by showing you a sneak peak at my latest painting, because I just can't wait, I'm very excited about this one! It's not finished, but it's getting close.

So now you have had a little look at the most recent painting, I can tell you about the rest of my week and how I got to this point. Last week started off great, I finished the sketching up of my fabric study and transferred it onto the board I'm going to paint on.  To transfer I used the old method of drawing graphite on the back of the drawing and then laying it on top of the board and tracing over the lines, Graphite Transfer paper will do the same job.

I also got a paint scrapper/razer blade for my encaustic work at the start of the week, here it is:

I used the razer blade on my fish whispers painting to smooth out the surface. The existing texture on the image is too bumpy for my liking. I want to get a shinny even finish on this piece, and ever time I buff it, the areas that are lowered do not get a sheen.  I also wanted to try a technique I read about in an encaustic book (as mentioned and shown in last weeks post), however I did not get around to that because...

... on Wednesday I hurt my knee and was on the couch for the rest of the week with my foot up doing R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression and elevate). I took the opportunity to read books and watch You-tube art videos.  I read and watched the book and movie 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' and thoroughly enjoyed it!

I guess it was a blessing in disguise as it made me stop and think, but I tell you by the end of the weekend I was hanging out to get back into painting!  Today I worked on a painting that I started some time ago, the urgency has come about to finish it as I want to enter it in an upcoming prize (due in at the end of this week). Here is the am photo:

and the pm photo:

And now some link love:

 

Beautiful time lapse oil paintings by Netherlands Painter Josvan:
http://www.youtube.com/user/josvanr

A demonstration on Painting an Oil Portrait (coincidentally 'Girl with a Pearl Earring') by Jon Houglum, an artist from Franklin, North Carolina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDg5J5fUkDM



 Wishing you a happy and productive week!



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