A look at the finished painting I have decided to call ‘Contrast’

I did in fact finish this painting way back on the 15th of December.  I decided to wait until the paint was dry enough for a light coat of retouch varnish before taking the photos, but I actually took this one on the 23rd.  So why the long wait before finally posting?  Mainly laziness.  That and the relative chaos of the holidays.

I decided on the title, ‘Contrast’, as a reference to the contrast between the soft, organic form of the figure, the hard, linear forms of the achitecture, and the high contrast lighting of the composition.  I also thought it fitting considering that this painting was originally started as a project to contrast the new techniques I learned in NY with what I had been doing before.  There are many things about this new approach that I really like, particularly the approach to mixing colors, and I expect it will mostly depend on the painting which technique I decide to use in the future.  However, the ideas of turning form and analyzing the play of light on a subject, as well as some of the concepts of value, chroma and detail compression will surely effect every painting and drawing I ever do.

Currently I am working on two commission pieces, and will not be posting images until, at the very least, the paintings are finished and the clients are happy.

As always, I welcome comments and questions in the meantime.