Tony, 20" x 16", oil on canvasTony brought with him a couple of hats and a patterned scarf as props. I chose his light-brimmed hat and the scarf for their pattern and contrast.
To paint Tony, I kept my palette limited to 3 intense transparent primaries: ultramarine blue, permanent rose, and indian yellow deep. Painting with a limited palette helps me explore the chosen colors to their deepest potential; I find it a very creative “brain teaser.”
I started off with a general background pattern using thin washes; I wanted to establish a strong design that would also suggest depth and distance behind him in the final painting. After that, I painted him more or less “freestyle,” without any layout of drawing.
To paint Tony, I kept my palette limited to 3 intense transparent primaries: ultramarine blue, permanent rose, and indian yellow deep. Painting with a limited palette helps me explore the chosen colors to their deepest potential; I find it a very creative “brain teaser.”
I started off with a general background pattern using thin washes; I wanted to establish a strong design that would also suggest depth and distance behind him in the final painting. After that, I painted him more or less “freestyle,” without any layout of drawing.
