51st Sketch Goes Color

Photocopied sketches were pasted on a board and painted over - 18" x 5" - acrylic

Each color comp is 3" x 4"

I got a good feel for color options in a short time

I also often do this exploration using Photoshop to

add color to my drawings instead of acrylic.

I then took the final drawing of sketch 51 and created color comps. Here, I admit to having to break some bad habits. For many years I had become lax in my pre-painting color explorations. I would often skip right to paint from the final drawing without adequately working out the color scheme. This could often lead to frustration and less than satisfying results. I recommitted to working out my color palette before going to final paint. Here I used a simple technique of photocopying my sketch several times and pasting them side by side on the board using acrylic matte medium. I then simply painted over them all with an initial wash of acrylic to establish a basic color feel and temperature. I carried three of them further after deciding I preferred a warm palette for this piece. This was as far as I got during our class as we were not required to make a final painting from this study. I did subsequently create a painting based on the thumbnail explorations that was part of my MFA thesis show. I'll show that one later.