Finally, all the major characters have their initial lay in. Now the real work begins. I’ve been getting many questions regarding the finish. Famously, painter/teacher Thomas Couture replied when asked how would one know if a piece was finished? “Call it finished!”

With all seriousness, painting for me isn’t about an Alla Prima Effect. Alla Prima meaning all at once, and usually describes broken brushwork or a painterly effect. While I like the look of a calligraphic brush stroke of an artist like Richard Schmid or Sargent as much as the next guy, that isn’t my temperament. And yet, I am not into a highly licked finish of a Bargue or Ingres. (By the way the reason they call it a licked finish is because they used to lick their brush to bring it to a fine point, and because saliva is a great lubricant/solvent/catalyst. This is also the reason that many of the fine polished painters of the past suffered at some point in their careers from lead poisoning.) For me my goal is a finish similar to that Delaroche. Granted I realize that his paintings are quite a high standard for which to aim. But, as my Grandmother used to say, “Shoot to be president, and you might end up being president of a company,” and “Never play tennis with someone who you are better than.”

Anyway…I digress.

Each figure will be painted over with approximately 2-4 more layers of paint to correct errors in drawing, values, edges, and color. Also, I must bring the piece into a cohesive lighting experience. After that, there is the foliage, the bridge and the water which will each offer the their own unique challenges. We’ll see if I can pull off what I say I can. 🙂

On the bright side the sky is done. 🙂