24 Artists Magazine December 2019
Build DRAWING BOARD
STAGES FIVE
THROUGH EIGHT
After brushing off the excess charcoal, I block in
the large shadow, light and background shapes,
looking only for a simple averaging of all the
details found within each large shape. Once I’ve
established this broad averaging of values, I can
make better decisions about the subtle value
differences within. As I work toward a greater
finish of detail, I try to paint my light values
a little thicker while keeping my darker values
a little thinner. I consciously try not to overwork
my paintings by oversmoothing or removing all of
my initial drawing lines that can help to show my
hand and thought process in the finished work.
I often find myself removing evidence of my
glasses later in the painting process when I sense
their hard architecture is interrupting the organic
flow of my face’s abstract value shapes, or if
I feel they’re impeding and stiffening
mypaintingapproach.Side-View Self-Portrait
demonstration; oil on canvas, 16X12