An Insider's View of "Toledo No. 1"

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I got down to business on the next stage of this Spanish cityscape over the weekend. Here's a pic of me at work and a few details of the underpainting round. I wanted to get a base of acrylic colors down that approximate what the finished version in oil paint will look like. I think I am off to a good start…what do you think?

Me with "Toledo No. 1". The finished piece is 65" x 29".

Toledo, Spain up close.

Catching the shadows of an afternoon Spanish sun. 

In case you missed it, check out The Creation of a Spanish Cityscape with a video showing how I translated my photos into the charcoal drawing that is guiding the painting stages. Enjoy!

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The Launch of A New Mexico Cloudscape (Part II)

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I've made big strides with the drawing and underpainting for my biggest oil painting to date, "Aero No. 28". Even when working fast, the size of the painting itself makes the process "feel" slower. It's all about scale and doubling the size of the project often, and certainly in this case, more than doubles the work. 

Drawing. Generally getting the proportions and movement of the clouds in the right place.

Not quite the brand I'd use on the asphalt playground as a kid, but soft chalk pastels got things going nicely on this painting.

Acrylic paint underpainting. Giving me some tonal values to guide the application of the oil paint  in the next round.

The acrylic underpainting palette for this step of the painting.

Max painting reach achieved. Big chip brushes help me get a lot of coverage with the acrylics at this stage.

Underpainting Stage | "Aero No. 28" | 70" x 47"

I'm having a lot of fun getting face to face with a painting this big on the wall.

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The Creation of A Spanish Cityscape

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This week I started my newest painting featuring Toledo, Spain. I visited there in 2012 and was moved by its hilltop setting, its distinct architecture, and the fact that Toledo was the adopted home town of El Greco, one of my favorite painters. Unlike cloudscapes, cityscape paintings require a bit more thought and planning before adding color as evidenced in the photo and time lapse below.

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