STEP 6
With most of the surface covered,
I waited a day for the painting to dry
before tackling the facial details.STEP 5
I moved on to the right side of the picture to place
large blocks of color. Using the knife to apply
mixtures of a claylike consistency, composed of
earth colors and Cremnitz white, made me feel
almost as if I was sculpting the forms.
STEP 7
Using small synthetic watercolor brushes, I added
details of the hair and facial features of the putti.STEP 8
I decided to complete Overdoor With Putti (oil on
paperboard panel, 8½x11) as something between
a sketch and a fully rendered trompe l’oeil image. After
all, I share the belief that a painting is most interesting
when it balances illusion with a recognition of the
humble and recognizable materials of oil and pigment
applied to a flat surface by a specific hand.ArtistsNetwork.com 37