Cityscape In Progress

Checking my blog this morning, I was amazed to see that my last blog post was over two months ago - in November.  Our Decembers are always a whirlwind of activity. Then comes January when our Maine winter begins in earnest. Cold, snow, ice. No wonder the animals go into hibernation. Now it is early February and another gloomy, gray, cold day. Snow everywhere and ice underfoot - but like the groundhog we are up and looking forward to spring.

I thought I would share the beginning of my newest cityscape nocturne. These are complicated paintings and require a strong under-structure of perspective lines and value patterns.

Reference photos are a must since there is no way I could be in all these places to take my own photos. I borrow bits and pieces from many photographs to tell my own story.  

For this under-structure I use acrylic paint (black and white with shades of gray) because it covers well and dries quickly. Corrections and adjustments are easily made. I found that trying to create this layer in oil paint is difficult as the oil stays wet and corrections are messy.  

In this example, I am working on a red, acrylic toned canvas. I have established my perspective lines and a strong value pattern. And, yes, I use a ruler! I found that horizontal lines can be fudged a bit, but unless you want a cartoonish look, your verticals must be correct.

When I am satisfied with my composition, shapes and values, I will complete the painting using a full colored oil palette.

Work in progress, 8x10

I hope your holiday season was great. Wishing you all a very happy New Year. 

Thanks for visiting. Stay safe, sane and warm.

Celene

www.CeleneFarris.com