Lion #2-First Underpainting

Hello Blog Readers ! It is way cold this afternoon, but I toughed it out with a very thick scarf and my cordoroy jacket (now a studio jacket, has paint dabs from various paintings on it). And got into the chilly studio to work on the first underpainting for the second lion. After doing his sketch on the canvas yesterday, I was wanting to get him started in paint !

I decided to do the background first, then work on the lion. The background really just got blocked in with a big paint brush. Looked fine, so I added some green paints on the palette to start the platform the lion sits upon. Then when that was done, I adjusted the paint colors a bit and got started on the big guy himself. Very messy paint mixes, but it is about getting the essence of the painting underway and getting some character of the subject to emerge. And have some good navigation points for the next painting session.

I had worked on chores, so my painting began a bit late and as usual the past weeks I ran out of daylight before I was ready to call it a day...oh well, more can be done next time !

As initial underpaintings go, this one is a good effort and I was happy to wash up my paint palette, brushes and hands. Tools and implements are all set out at the ready in the studio. I might not get much time this week for painting, but Wednesday I have to work a lot of night hours, so perhaps I can do a bit more during the day. It would be nice to have this moving a bit more along its path before being away for travel. I think this lion has a good character and with that, I call it a night.

Enjoy Sunday. More next post.

Subjects

Hello There !  It is brisk and chilly in Sydney this week.  And I have been very busy at work, with a short work week this week (Monday was a holiday--Queen's Birthday).  So not much painting getting done now, but soon on the weekend I will have one whole weekend before the biz travel away.

So what to paint ?  Well a few thoughts.  First, here is a photo that inspired the first lion, the one I just finished on Sunday (see previous post to this).  He is pictured with my daughter Karen, who loves lion statues !

And the next lion is my likely next subject.  I got a canvas for his painting this Saturday, 24 x 30 inches.  So a size or two down from the big one I just finished...but it is nice to vary them up some.  And the proportions are good for the next one I think.  Here is the photo I will use as inspiration for the next lion, on the left.  These two verdigris lions flank a gate of the Louvre in Paris called Lion's Gate (port du leons).  This was photographed on a crisp and brilliant November day, in mid afternoon.  I will be painting the lion on the right, the one showing a good profile.  So a very different pose and look than Lion #1 that I just painted.  On the right you can see a better shot of the lion, I cropped this photo from the one above left.  I like the shadows on the background, not too dark, 

but still nice.  The lion is standing at attention, guarding his gate very well and he has great muscle tone too.  I also like the platform he is sitting on.

This is not a new photo, it is from nearly 2 years ago, when we last went to Paris.  On our return, I had the photo of the two lions above done into a larger glossy photo that I sent to be framed at an art framing shop.  Plus I did an enlargement of a panel of stonework as you see behind the lion.  Each panel features a different set of symbols.  And I spotted one with bees.  Not sure how or why I noticed this, but I did and I photographed it too.   It is amazing and every panel was detailed differently.  At the time I did not photograph many, but think it would be nice to go back and take more photos of them, there is some great material for inspiration there (what's not to like about Paris !).  The bees are on a background of honeycomb with a crown in between them.  This photo is also framed and looks awesome !  I painted one of those bees as well, on its honeycomb ground.  That painting is in Ian's workshop, maybe material for a future post !

Introducing Mr Lion

Hi All :)  I did indeed finish the lion today.  It took more painting sessions than I thought and even today it took longer than I thought it might.  But who's counting ?!  

I spent most of my time today working on the background.  The stone bricks needed to be suitably stained and marked up.  I worked to add some of the pattern to the shadowed areas, under the arches.  I also painted in to the lines and borders, in mid tones and also some shadows...and in a few places some highlights.

Here is a closeup of the lion's body, to the right.  It shows some of the marks and patterns I had to paint to make up the textured part of his mid back and flank.  Also, at the bottom, (ribcage area I suppose ?), there are marks where his verdigris finish ends and he is just bronzed.  You can also see the work on the front of his mane and shoulder too.

And below left is a close up of his face and the background behind his head.  He has a rather majestic expression.  After finishing painting, I put up one of the easels in the lounge/living room and put him up in there...Wow, did he ever fill the room !  A very nice presence.  He looks rather good in there I think.  I was going to have him there this evening, but decided to get stuck right into tidying up the sides of the painting (black-brown).  I have done that, signed it, and just am waiting or the sides to be dry.  Then I can glaze the lion with a nice oil glaze, which will enhance the finish and give it a nice finished look.

So what should I name him ?  And what should I call the painting ??  Questions, questions....

See you next post.  Either starting on second lion, doing the next series of encaustics, or picking up one of the other projects I have on the go in the studio....Stay tuned, hope you will check back in and see what I pick up next !