Tucson Classical Atelier

I’m starting with a brand new group of oil painters this Fall. Here’s their first lesson in creating a tonal underpainting for a classical study of a white object. We start the lessons using fairly monochromatic or colorless objects, to better see value and form, against a black background, which shows the contrast better. Notes from class about the first lesson:

To begin, place your white object in a darkened area (like my black box), with a light shining directly onto it. The object should be bathed in about 3/4 light, with a clear cast shadow onto the “floor” of the box.  Then we create a detailed graphite drawing of the form, to scale of what the painting will be (in my case, I’m replicating the 5 x 7″ size.) We are using a compositional “grid” before we actually  start drawing, to see where to place the drawn object along the sweet spots, or intersections of lines and diagonals. Then mix 6 values of gray, using ivory black and titanium white. The lights should be almost white, and the darkest should be almost black:

Then begin sketching out the form with one of the middle values. Here’s mine next to the tonal sketch:

Notice how I have “blocked” in the background and foreground using big, value forms. I’ll then do the same for the little bowl, first applying lights, darks, then middle values:

Once I’ve got everything in there, it’s time to go back and revisit edges, contrasts and general overall accuracy with the “drawing” in the painting.

See you next time, when we apply to the first color pass to the painting. In the meantime, here are some of my students’ grisaille: