Still Life Painting

Hello again! I have read much of Gombrich's Story of Art at this point. I have some knowledge to back the application of oil painting I am learning. I also am working on a research paper for our oil painting tutorial about female Old Master painters, focusing on Judith Leyster (whose painting "The Proposition" I am working on copying) and Artemisia Gentileschi. Gentileschi is the famous painter who did "Judith Slaying Holofernes".

Very exciting stuff.

So, one of the things we've done recently in class is focus on still-lifes.  We each drew some in our sketch books after looking at many in the art institute. My sketch book is a weird place filled with half drawn paintings. Which was actually intentional because I am focusing on different things in each one, like composition or the way light falls or color acts or tones relate. I draw in charcoal, but my classmates usually use graphite.

Then, in class, Amanda (our facilitator) brought in dishes and fruit and cardboard and lighting and a camera so that we got to practice creating our own still-lifes. We each did quite a few. Ultimately we decided to go with Allison's still-life of a pitcher, semi-peeled blood orange, and an artichoke. 

Here is my underpainting, or brown-school grisaille, of the picture:

Next step to come soon!

Comments

[Adrian Nelson]

I have loved a great many of the paintings depicting the story of Judith and Holofernes from Macabees. My favorite is at the Art Institute, by Jan Sanders van Hemessen, called Judith: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeontheedge/808741690/