Reasons why I do figurative paintings?

To get the figure right

The very reason why I practice figure is that it helps me learn anatomy. It helps me to learn figure in a perfect way. Even in order to do cultural paintings, one should know everything about figure and anatomy. Let us say we are putting an outfit over a body, one should know where the bends and folds should come. One should be able to assume where the dress fold is likely to happen, where the costume would project with respect to the projection of the body parts.



To practice difference between presence and absence of light

It helps us understand skintone and mixing of oil paints that is required to achieve realism. I believe in values more than in skin color. The values on the presence and absence of light differ very hugely. I only go about creating a color scheme which will guide me move to the next step. Color scheme works as a foundation for me to move to the next level. I gradually go about developing the work and as a final step I create the highlight wherever required. I darken the absence of light zone on my subject and then finish off the subject by creating highlight on it. Earlier I used a blind layering technique, the technique was very clueless and I felt very directionless using the technique. Creating a color scheme and then working over it has ascertained me in the direction in which I should move.

Pasted here are a few of my figurative paintings. I do a lot of figure works ( nude paintings ). I have done a lot of them and sold a lot of them.



To practice and understand skin

I love to create values and then I try to equate/translate them into skintone. It all comes down to values basically irrespective of the skin colors. What I would do is I try to study a lot of skin colors of brown, dark brown and fair subjects. The values on the presence and absence of light differ heavily.

With that as basis, there will be a huge difference in color application too. So it is very interesting to do these studies. Not just that, these values differ in accordance to the skin complexion of our subject. So color and values are very interconnected. So studying one would help the other.

How do I create a painting – Canvas preparation until the varnish

Preparation of canvas

I take preparation of canvas quite seriously, because if it is not done properly the finished painting might get affected very badly. Firstly I stretch my canvas on my panel, rub it with sand paper to get rid of the bobbles and roughness. Then I treat it with 2 layers of primer and gesso each. Then what I do is, I do one coating of oil painting which will help me during the process of painting, it reduces thefriction immensely.


Rough outline of the painting

Before I start with a painting, what I do is I create a grid both on my canvas and on the reference photo. I sell my paintings so I have to be very careful with the shape of my subjects so I take the help of grid. With the use of grid, I create the outline of my main and other subjects in this step.


Creation of color scheme

This is where I create a color scheme. Color scheme helps me to bring whatever light, effect and mood I intend to bring on my canvas. After I apply the color scheme, the layout of colors work as a foundation. It guides me to select values and colors. The demarcation of presence and absence of light zones and the caste shadows becomes quite obvious after the color scheme.


Finish and highlight of the painting

This is step is a honeymoon step for me. It is icing on the cake because after application of highlight zone and the highlight itself the painting comes to life. It is so good to see how the painting would come to life. I am so fond of this technique scumbling with which I create sharp highlights. They help my painting get the soul that it needs. And none of my paintings are short of the glazing technique. I use glazing on all the cloth areas and the shadow parts. This technique more depth to the painting.


Varnishing a painting

Last but not the least. I allow my painting to dry, not touch dry, I mean super dry. Once after it is completely dry what I do is I varnish my painting. Varnishing an oil painting is very important. During the process of drying a painting, what happens is that the paint gets absorbed by the canvas or somehow major values on the painting gets lost in the process. While varnishing a painting all the lost values come to life.
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The process of my realistic oil painting – explained in steps

Rough work

This is the step in which I do not take too much burden on me. I call this the honeymoon step, where I just casually place my subjects, and the colors are quite close to the colors in my reference photo but still I will keep it very casual. This is just like a skeleton for me with which I move on to the next step. Meaning in the second step, the first step will help me to decide the values, colors and light. Finishing the background

As a second step, I finish the background. This is because this is where I decide the light of the sun. If it is an afternoon light, I try the create the light and shadow according to that. Once when the background is done, it is very easy for me to color the subject. In my blog, I have given a very detailed study of how to create a realistic oil painting my style. It might be helpful to you. Focus on the subject

This is where I create the presence and absence of light on my main subject. The background and the first coat on the subject helps me to achieve the light, shadow and the values on the main subject. Final step

This is where I use the steps scumbling, to create reflection and the range of reflection on my main subject and also the rest of my subject. Also I use glazing to details the absence of light and the shadow parts. Varnishing my painting

I allow my painting to dry for a minimum of 2 months. After which I varnish my painting which gives the painting a beautiful effect. The values that have been lost during the process of drying or perhaps absorped by the canvas comes to life.

My treatment of canvas before and after my painting

Preparation of canvas I believe preparation of canvas is very important. I treat my canvas with primer first and then with gesso. I generally apply 2 coats of both the items so all of the canvas gets covered. I do not want one bit of canvas to be left out without the coat. These coatings will have immense effect on the painting.

After the canvas dries for about 1 day after the gessor and primer application, I coat the canvas with one thick layer of oil paint. Then I allow the oil coat on the canvas to dry for about 2 days until it is completely dry. I allow it to dry in shadow, in the open space and then after it dries it is ready for painting.

I will wash the canvas with the water, dry the canvas and then I start with the painting. If you are an oil painting artist, it is very important to know how to prepare canvas for oil painting, how to create grid, how to varnish a painting and then how to preserve a painting. What to do after the painting is over ? I allow the painting to dry for about 3 -4 months after the painting is over. I live in India, so it is very hot between March and August, so allowing it to dry for 2 months is enough for me.

Then it is ready for varnish. Expert artists here allow painting to dry for six to seven months. They feel it is completely ready for varnish. Varnish is a tricky process. If it is done incorrectly, the painting may get damaged heavily. The colors on the painting gets removed and gets distributed everywhere if the painting if varnished before the painting is completely dry. Then it will be very difficult to correct the damage anywhere on the painting. If you have used the technique glazing or if you have used too much oil in the painting, it is safe to dry the painting for a minimum of 6 months.

Day 5, Revisited cultural oil painting - House

Day 5, 9 July 2020, 9am to 1pm

Had to revisit the tree alone as it was not looking complete, this was as advised by my photographer friend Ramesh. Now it looks better

Day 4 , Work in progress of cultural oil painting - Who is there

Day 4  3 July, 2020 8.30am to 12pm

I did a rough color scheme on the background. It will be taking a minimum of 3-4 days just to address the background and then the subjects will take another 2 days.

Day 3, Work in progress of cultural oil painting - Who is there

Day 3, 1 July 2020

Day 2 I took the second day to hide all the grid lines, they looked quite obvious so I had to bring it down.

Day 3, I did the pol and aol marking on both the subjects. Tomorrow I will be doing a value study of the background. A minimum of 4-5 days work to go...