Demonstration: Wet into Wet with Grids and Anatomical Layouts

Swimmer oil paint on masonite panel 10x8 inches by Kenney Mencher

This is a step by step video that shows how I lay out the figure using a combination of the grid and transfer system combined with an anatomical life drawing method.  It also shows how I use the oil paint in a wet into wet or alla prima style.  I also discuss the colors I used.

This  painting is a available for purchase at:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/106185482/swimmer-oil-paint-on-masonite-panel-10x8

Here are the supplies I used:

    Turpenoid odorless thinner
    These are some of  the brushes I use most  (I've cut and pasted from www.aswexpress.com)
            Winsor & Newton Monarch Bright Brush - Size 2
            Winsor & Newton Monarch Bright Brush - Size 8
            Winsor & Newton Monarch Bright Brush - Size 12
            Winsor & Newton Monarch Bright Brush - Size 14
            Isabey Isacryl Series 6562 Bright Brush - Size 6
            Isabey Isacryl Series 6562 Bright Brush - Size 10
            Pro-Stroke Red Sable Series 49B Bright - Size 20
            Pro-Stroke Red Sable Series 49B Bright - Size 16
            PRO-STROKE RED SABLE SERIES 49B BRIGHT - SIZE 6
            PROSTROKE SABLE BRIGHT SZ 8

             
    Paints: (hues are OK) Windsor Newton Wintons, Rowney Georgian, Utrecht, or Gamblin are all very good paints. I suggest buying the largest student grade tubes you can afford. (around 225 ml)
    The best value for you on the www.aswexpress.com website is probably the Windsor Newton WINTON
        lamp black (I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        burnt sienna (I suggest Gamblin)
        burnt umber or raw umber (I suggest Gamblin)
        yellow ochre(I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        lemon yellow (I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        scarlet (Rowney Georgian is a good brand)
        cadmium red light (I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        alizarin crimson (I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        ultramarine blue (I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        cerulean blue (I suggest Windsor Newton Winton)
        payne's gray  (I think Gamblin brand is best for this one.)
        white (there are several different ones zinc white and or titanium white are fine)
    A small bottle of Liquin or Galkyd painting medium
    An 18"x24" Drawing board

Almost finished with the portrait commission

Here's how it looks so far (The legs are not finished) :

Here's the step by step how I got here:

More info at: 
http://www.kenney-mencher.com/

More "How to" Articles and Tutorials

• Demonstration Drawing the Sphere
• Demonstration Drawing the Cube
• Demonstration Video: How to Paint the Shapes Monochromatically 

The Human Figure

• A Figure Painting Demonstration
• Demonstration: Drawing the Skeleton Front View preparation for Life Drawing 

How to draw a portrait

• Demonstration Video: How to draw the head in pencil 
• Demonstration Video: Sketching the Head and Face in wash media 
• Demonstration Single Portrait (Joy Anne Delight)) 
• Demo Portraits (Two Figures)Demonstration: How I make a painting (In Martini Vertas) 
• Demonstration: How I make a painting (Hat in Hand)  
• Demonstration: How I revise and work out problems in my paintings. 
• Demonstration: How I make a painting "Buoy"

Painting a portrait with imprimatura and ala prima

More "How to" Articles and Tutorials

• Demonstration Drawing the Sphere
• Demonstration Drawing the Cube
• Demonstration Video: How to Paint the Shapes Monochromatically 

The Human Figure

• Demonstration: Drawing the Skeleton Front View preparation for Life Drawing 

How to draw a portrait

• Demonstration Video: How to draw the head in pencil
•  Demonstration Video: Sketching the Head and Face in wash media
• Demonstration Single Portrait (Joy Anne Delight))
• Demo Portraits (Two Figures)
• Demonstration: How I make a painting (In Martini Vertas)
• Demonstration: How I make a painting (Hat in Hand) 
• Demonstration: How I revise and work out problems in my paintings.
• Demonstration: How I make a painting "Buoy"

How to paint a portrait in oils "Joy Anna de Lyte" 10"x8" oil on masonite panel

First I started with doing a couple of preliminary drawing portraits.

This one is pencil on paper.

 Compressed charcoal and wash on watercolor paper.

After I was satisfied with the drawings.  (It's kind of like a rehearsal.) I moved on to a small 10"x8" masonite panel that I coated with linseed oil, galkyd resin and burnt umber paint.  I applied this goop with a rag.

Then I "sketched" out the face with burnt umber on the panel with a brush.  I focused on the biggest dark masses.

I then began to wipe out most of the lights with a rag and redefined the darks and redrew in some areas with some more opaque oil paints.

The darkest areas are actually a mixture of lamp black (NOT ivory) alizarin crimson, scarlet and cadmium red medium paint.  It's actually more of a purple black than straight dark.  This mixes with the underpainting of burnt umber and makes some beautiful mixtures of tones.

Next I began mixing this stuff with cadmium orange to make the dark flesh tones.

See the Galkyd on the left and the mix of orange and my black mixture to its right.  I then painted in most of the larger dark masses with this modified orange.

Moving into the lighter areas I mix in white (soft mixing white by Winton) and create a series of flesh tones.

It's sort of a paint by numbers operation at this point where I work from dark to light but mass in the largest and most general tones with the largest brush I have.  My teacher Irwin Greenberg used to say that "Big painters use a big brush."

Blend edges redefine tones, start working out smaller details.

Redefine the drawing using the mixture start working with a smaller brush (about 1/2")

Redefine details of face, brush in some cadmium red light to pink out the cheeks and nose.

The background is a modified payne's gray with some yellow ochre.  My wife says it's green.  I think it's gray.

The hat is burnt sienna.

Here's the finished painting.

More "How to" Articles and Tutorials

• Demonstration Drawing the Sphere
• Demonstration Drawing the Cube
• Demonstration Video: How to Paint the Shapes Monochromatically 

The Human Figure

• Demonstration: Drawing the Skeleton Front View preparation for Life Drawing 

How to draw a portrait

• Demonstration Video: How to draw the head in pencil
•  Demonstration Video: Sketching the Head and Face in wash media
• Demonstration Single Portrait (Joy Anne Delight))
• Demo Portraits (Two Figures)
• Demonstration: How I make a painting (In Martini Vertas)
• Demonstration: How I make a painting (Hat in Hand) 
• Demonstration: How I revise and work out problems in my paintings.
• Demonstration: How I make a painting "Buoy"

 

Renovated Reputations: A Collaborative Installation of Paintings, Fiction, Music and Vintage Furniture by Kenney Mencher, Patrick Nelson and others at: The Art Museum of Los Gatos, California 4 Tait Ave Los Gatos, CA 95030 December 1 - January 6 Reception: Saturday December 3, 2011 5PM-8PM  Show up in costume and get into the photobooth!  You may end up being my next painting! Price: FREE Phone: (408) 395-7386 The Art Museum of Los Gatos presents Renovated Reputations, an immersive exhibition experience featuring works conceived as a collaboration in painting, creative fiction, and design. At once noir, bohemian and pulp in style, the works invite the viewer to step inside and sit awhile, discover their stories and spark engagement. More info at:  http://www.kenney-mencher.com/