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Sargent Master Study Finished - Oyster Gatherers Of Cancale
Rich_A
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So I decided my next painting would be another master study of Sargent. I'm going to be taking my time with this one. My approach is going to be painting a underpainting in black and white, tweaking it if I need to, color match it, and then add color. I started by adding a light blue stain and pencil drawing. I'm going to spray some fixative on it. My canvas is a little shorter than the original so I cropped it left to right. I'm not sure which painting in search engine land is the correct color. Can anyone suggest one that is closest to the original?
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But that won't help you. Ideally I could go look at the real thing and tell you which online image looks closest, but then it comes down to the differences between screens. I'd say it's an impossible thing to do.
Maybe look at them all, and eliminate the under and over saturated ones?
Is that charcoal or pencil ?
@Kaustav, @PaulB - thanks for the reference photos.
@MichaelD - I just used a 6b pencil.
PaulB, MichaelD -Thanks for the encouragement. I sure did need it.
Here's the third sitting progress. It looks darker than it really is.
PaulB , Boudicca - Thanks. Your support means everything to me.
Forgiveness -Thanks. I have a black and white copy in front of me to make sure I'm in tune with the values.
BOB73 - LOL. It's an honor sir.
Ok. Here is my sixth sitting progress.
Dated: 1878. Dimensions: sheet: 11.43 × 17.78 cm (4 1/2 × 7 in.). Medium: pen and brown ink over graphite on wove paper.
Bancroft414 -Which foot are you referencing? The one in the front or the one in the back. I worked a little bit more on the one in the back. ( I think that's her right foot.)
Kaustav - I haven't worked on the background yet. I painted a light blue stain on the canvas. That's an awesome reference you found BTW.
Bobitaly - I'm glad your liking it.
Here's the seventh sitting. My lighting is off tonight so it looks a little darker than it is.
@tgarney - Thanks. I'll try my best to articulate the experience and process.
I tried to get a copy of the most accurate color for this and printed a color copy and a black and white for values. I knew the colors would fluctuate during this process so I knew I wouldn't be able to match the color exactly so I tried to get at least the values close.
I used the D.M.P. limited palette and tried to determine and color match the major mid-tones. Once I established the mid-tones I can make them lighter of darker when I need to. I didn't use black but a mixture of blue and brown.
I use windsor newton flat brushes. One for each mid tone, shadow and highlight. I don't think you can get the same effect with small brushes.
I don't use the point of the brush but the side and I don't hold the brush like I'm writing with a pencil but like this, using my arm instead of my wrist. And when I'm looking at the original, for instance, I try not to think I'm looking at an arm, or a face, or a leg, but trick my mind into thinking I'm looking at abstract shapes (something I learned from the book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain")
It really just takes a lot of practice. This is my sixth Sargent master copy. I wanted THIS to be my first master copy but I knew I would fail miserably going in cold the first time without practice. So I started with simple portraits like the Egyptian Girl and worked my way up to this.
Another thing I did was play classical piano music to try and put myself in that time period when this was painted. Specifically the work of composer Rachmaninov.
Your painting is looking terrific, @Rich_A. Thanks for the points on trchnique.
are they not filberts rather than flats ?
Thanks for letting us know your process, you have inspired me to try using and holding a brush like that.
Im still making my way through drawing on the right side of the brain, but its already helped me do as you mentioned, to look at things you are painting as shapes.
Im guessing you are, rightfully, proud of this work.
What would you say you have learned from doing this copy ?
as for holding a brush hold anyway you like and ignore the bs,..
@tassieguy- Yes. I think I might listen to classical music from now on when painting. There's something about the music you listen to that seeps into the canvas.
@Kaustav - Thanks. Thanks again for the pointers and reference.
@MichaelD - The brushes are filbert and flat. The one thing I would take away from this experience is checking my colors and taking my time and not rushing. I think I spent about 16 hours on this. This the longest I've ever spent on a painting.
@alsart - Thanks Alan. Man I spent 2 hours alone just trying to get the face close enough. No matter how hard i tried I kept doing it over. I tried painting it with a small brush and it just didn't look right. So I used a number two flat and built it up from dark to light. When I got to the face I have now, I was thinking I can keep working on it and mess it up again or just leave it.