I’m finishing out the last day of 2011 by working on art. The last couple weeks have been filled with contemplation, planning, and plotting, and I am so excited about things to come in the following months, including a return to writing tutorials.

Glass Vase and Candle – WIP2
4″x5″ oil paint on canvas
Three sittings
Reference is one of my own photos

In this layer I added brighter candle reflections in a very pale yellow.

Project: Glass Vase and Candle

Pentacle Candle and Apple – WIP2
3″x5″ oil paint on canvas board
Three sittings
Reference is my own photo

In this layer I brightened up the red of the apple, as well as brightening and better defining the white on the candle.

Project: Pentacle Candle and Apple

Familiar – WIP4
Oil paint on gallery wrapped canvas, 9″x12″x2″
Five sessions
Reference: One of my own photos of Ringo

I added some white detailing around the eye, as well as the whiskers above the eyes. I then stared at the overall painting for a bit, because I was very, very unhappy with the entire composition of the lighting. I wanted to give the appearance that the eyes are glowing, but it looked very confusing with the back lighting being so strong. Thus, I colored over all the backlighting with a thin layer of black, also adding some shade detailing around the muzzle.

Project: Familiar

Complete Contentment – WIP6
5″x7″ Masonite board
Oil paint
5 sittings

This one probably seems odd as part of a progression. I added a thin layer of yellow over the entire painting, which greatly decreased the contrast and brightness of each individual part already colored. I did this to even the tones a bit before layering again, to help hide the pencil showing through, and to completely eliminate any white spots still showing. In the future, I will do this kind of a layer to begin with.

Project: Complete Contentment