Last LFI2021

It's been quite a year, doing Let's Face It 2021, and now it's over! I haven't done all of the lessons (maybe half?), partly because some were charcoal or pencil only, which didn't interest me, and partly because I got distracted by other classes and went off on those tangents for a good part of the year. But it was worth it, even doing just 25 of the 49 lessons, and I have signed up for 2022. I have also signed up for Paint Your Heart and Soul 2022, likewise a year-long class, so that I can choose whether to do one or the other or both lessons per week and discover yet more teachers with whom I would love to study! And of course I have a few leftover lessons from more in-depth classes that I need to go back and complete, and a few I haven't even looked at yet, and a couple of commissions... I think 2022 will be another busy art year!

Anyway, our last lesson this week for LFI 2021 was with Danielle Mack, and was an exercise to paint two women together in one frame, supposedly combining them from separate, individual photos. I didn't exactly adhere to that plan, because I was reading a review this morning of the new Paul Verhoeven film, Benedetta, and when I saw the picture of the two nuns, one peeking from behind the shoulder of the other, I had to paint them. Danielle was making a statement about woman power, and I'm not sure these lesbian nuns fit the description, but they were definitely risk-takers, given that it was the 17th century!

I did fulfill the assignment as far as drawing and watercolor went, and I abstained from adding any additional mixed media details with the exception of the rosary, for which I used my silver gel pen. But otherwise all watercolor, and mostly done with my loose and sloppy brush, somewhat in the mode of Fiona di Pinto, putting in the darks first and coming back in with the lighter colors. I'm pretty happy with it, although as usual I forgot to allow for borders. The faces are a little long, compared to the originals, but not horribly out of proportion. I just failed to get the slightly up-tilted chin on the front nun. Otherwise, not bad.

"Benedetta"—pencil and watercolor on Fluid coldpress watercolor paper, 12x9 inches.

The beauty of substrate

Ever since taking Emma Pettit's class, I am super conscious of paint usage. Her continuing mantra throughout her painting process is "Don't waste paint!" to the point where she will say, "Just take whatever is left on your brush and scrub it over the surface to give you some nice texture—use it all up!"

So, when I finished a painting session on the recent large figure portrait of Johnny and George and had a bunch of colors left sitting on my palette, instead of balling up the page and throwing it out, I got out a 9x12 piece of watercolor paper and my brayer (roller) and made a background (substrate) to use for a future painting.

The problem with these backgrounds Emma teaches is that sometimes they are so pretty that you don't want to cover them up! I didn't expect the combination of Naples Yellow, Burnt Sienna, Lemon Yellow, and a little bit of Payne's Grey to mix so agreeably, but when I was done, I thought Ooh! What can I paint on this without covering it all up?

My solution was to impose an image taken from a black-and-white photo, and only paint the lights and darks, leaving the substrate to show through for all the neutral parts.

I'm not sure whether I feel like this is a success; for one thing, since the light was coming from behind her, the biggest highlight in the entire photo was the neck, which is always an awkward place to put such definitive white strokes and leave them unblended! It probably would have been better painted in inks or watercolor, but I wasn't sure I could even do that, over the top of an acrylic background, so...white and Payne's Grey acrylics, and a dark blue Stabilo All pencil for a few defining strokes.

"Substrate Woman," 9x12 inches.

And then, of course, I had white and Payne's Grey left over, so now I have a new substrate...