12.21.2010

Head Sketch

I love the challenge of painting a subject in one sitting but when that subject is a person it adds to the challenge.  It's a balancing act of color and value while maintaining proportions and correct drawing.  It's an intense undertaking.

On a related note I will be putting together some tutorials / demos on painting in oil.  If you are interested  in learning how to paint or are just looking to sharpen your skills please take a moment to comment on what you would like to see in these tutorials.  Your comments are appreciated! 

25 comments:

Abbey said...

Great idea! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Justin

would love to learn. i feel i can draw reasonably well but have no idea where to start when it comes to oils.

how to buy and prepare a canvass. how to mix paints? how to get good skin tones? how to build up a painting?

hope all is well
nick

Anonymous said...

Please talk about how to transition between colors values etc...

Thanks - Chef

Unknown said...

Hey Justin,
I have always loved your landscapes, in fact, I saved everyone you posted on your daily painting site. A "How-to" landscape painting tutorial would be great.
Thanks,
John L

Vicki said...

Amazing and beautiful! I love the way you capture an expression.

Justin Clayton said...

Great suggestions so far.

Chef - Can you be a little more specific? Are you referring to how to paint color changes? Or maybe you're referring to how to transition from drawing/painting in one color to painting in full color.

Justin Clayton said...

Thanks Vicki:)

belindadelpesco.com said...

Excellent idea! Groovy topics would be: transitions between cool and warm shadows for landscape, vs still life, vs figure. Also, loosing hard edges. And Beautiful little head study! Yes, drawing the head is one huge hurdle in itself, and then painting it! You might as well be learning how to play flamenco guitar in one afternoon! Great job.... full of expression.

Anonymous said...

Hi Justin,
I just love getting pictures of your work sent to me via e-mail. I'd love to see you go through the whole process of doing a painting. How do you select a subject...what do you do first, second, etc....Anything would be interesting and educational. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

id like to understand more about using less of a palette. ie like velasquez or rembrandt using only five colore.
thanks. esp. in portraiture

David Teter said...

Justin,
In addition to the 'mechanic's' of painting in oils, don't forget to include some of your own personal insights... what makes your work yours, what you see... because after all else is done, that is what matters.

UniquelyMonique said...

anything and everything...
If I had to narrow it down, anything about doing a quick oil sketch, especially portraits (sorry, I'm sure the most challenging). Thanks in advance!

Anonymous said...

HI Justin, what a great idea - oil painting tutorials. I'm a painter in acrylics and have worked in oil-based inks, printmaking. I'm afraid of oil paints but am dying to use them. I feel I may be ready. My interest is in learning how to mix colours and clean the brushes. With acrylics, I just dip in water and wipe inbetween colours and I extend them with medium to stop them drying quickly - this means I can mix on the canvas. But with oils the linseed oil/turps thing confounds me. What are these wee dipper things and how do you use them? Does one use lots of different brushes or just one? Does one mix on the canvas -- something I'd probably do -- or on the palette (with a brush or knife?) With acrylics I use mediums to stop them drying quickly. I guess with oils it's the opposite --- using stuff to help them dry! Liquin or something? The other thing I do with acrylics is to white out the whole painting when it's not working. People talk about "scraping it back" with oils. Can you then work back into it? This fat over lean thing confuses me. When you work quickly in oils, is that then just a thin wash? And can you describe this as a finished painting? What aurfaces are best? Board with canvas wrapped round? A load of questions here, Justin. Regards and love your work. Lesley Birch www.lesleybirch.co.uk

Marilyn M. King said...

Hi Justin,
I'd just love to see you work a daily painting from start to finish - to see how you hold your brush, what medium you use if any, to hear your thoughts about your approach, etc. I'm a big fan and you are among my top three daily painters. It would be a treat to just see you work!!!!

Delilah said...

Wonderful painting

DSM said...

All those grays....way cool. I've enjoyed your posts.

I like oil's working time (I use alkyds): it keeps me painting.

Jerry said...

Hello Justin,

I've been a big fan since I saw your video tutorials on YouTube. Love your style! I have been working with oils for a year now and have won an award on portraiture here in my city of El Paso, Tx. I am 21 years old and would love to meet you in person one day. Anyways, I would like you to make a video on midtones, I know they are extremely difficult and is a more advanced topic, preferably midtones on hands. If not then a video of you making a portrait of a person Alla Prima I love portraits and I think that people are the most interesting subject to paint.

Sincerely,
Jerry

Anonymous said...

I would like to see the process you do from start to finish. Thanks, Anne

Anonymous said...

Hi Justin,
I love your work. I would like to see you do a painting from start to finish. Thanks, Anne

Martyn Chamberlin said...

Hey Justin! Sorry I'm a bit late to the discussion here.

Talk about portraits. Explain to us how to do them. Getting specific, discuss how you can accurately draw a model's face without the painting looking "tight." You're a master at keeping your drawing true to life but loose and artistic. I'm horrible at this. Whenever I try to "make it look like him" I invariably end up with a flat, boring painting. Part of it is probably just getting better at drawing, I suppose.

PaintingLover said...

amazing work. keep it up.

Unknown said...

I like your painting!

Justin Clayton said...

Thanks for the feedback everyone. The gears are turning....

Lisa Thyer said...

Justin,
How exciting! I am looking forward to the tutorial. I would like to see specifics such as which type and size brush you like to use and why, any mediums, the brand of paint if you have a prefence, your typical color pallette, any preparation you like to do to the ground. I know some of your paintings are on linen. I have only painted on primed canvas and would like your take on different grounds and why you enjoy them and special techniques you may have for achieving that fantastic refined yet rustic quality I associate with you. Finally, I would LOVE to see several time lapsed demo paintings of different subjects and your varying style: Sometimes your paintings have a venerable pedigreed attitude like two tangerines and sometimes they are lively and playful like sliced apples and red grapes No 3. I would like for you to talk a bit about why that is. Thanks so much!
Lisa

Susan Hogan Girard said...

Hi Justin,

Tutorial on selecting hue and value and understanding their cool and warm uses. I struggle with the best color to work with it's neighbor. When I think I'm using the right choice, at the end, it all looks the same value and boring.