No. 005 • Adam
Solitary male figure, kneeling, looking over his shoulder under a red disc. Acrylic, teal falling into vibrant red. The first painting of a system I plan to work inside.
BUILD NOTES
Eight sessions start to finish. The gradient transition was most of the fight and I'm not satisfied with it. It did land better than I imagined it would mid-process, which I think is a phase most paintings go through. The transition will evolve over the next four to five pieces until I am satisfied with the process and outcome.
The figure and drape came easier than expected. Brushes couldn't finish the skin, so I used natural sponges to mottle the transition between colors. Sponges are staying.
Painted with Golden Fluid acrylics, which don't cover like heavier body paint. It annoyed me most of the piece. Having finished it and worked with the heavy body Golden paints since, Fluid may be my preferred texture for larger sections. Next painting: Fluid and open medium for background, heavy body for figure and disc.
The disc reads darker than discs to come. It sits on the darkest band of the gradient, and layer after layer of Fluid couldn't reach the red I wanted. At some point I decided I had learned enough and stopped. I'm also fully aware it's not a perfect circle. Future ones will be.
WHAT GOT CUT
I painted an entire canvas prior to this. The first gradient blended terribly and I moved to a fresh canvas rather than continuing to fight it.
FIRST
Adam is the first painting in this signature system, and the first male figure I've painted seriously. I've done many pieces featuring females before. He's named Adam because he is the first of many. The paintings will get names now.