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On the Painting Process

Taking a Walk 24”x30” Oil (Duck Store Demo) in color and Black and White.

It has been years since I took that one workshop from Sergei Bongart and the important lesson, that I learned in particular and that stayed with me to this day, was that a painting needs to have a strong abstract foundation to grab the attention of the viewer and no amount of dazzling color will ever save a painting if this essential aspect in the construction of the artwork is not carefully applied. A black and white image of a painting can clearly show the presence of a strong abstract pattern. 

This initial abstract stage in constructing a painting may take a few minutes or much longer, but the artist should not go past it until he or she is completely satisfied. In this abstract stage, paint is applied thinly without modeling. Large flat shapes are painted with transparent washes blocking the basic local color that one sees in mid-tone values, the lights are painted a bit darker than one sees and the darks a bit lighter. The use of white paint is limited or completely avoided at this stage

In the second phase of the painting process, which covers most of the allotted time needed to complete the artwork, thick paint is introduced to model the shapes. Particular attention is given to temperature (cool/warm), value (light/ dark), and edges (hard/soft). While painting the artist works all over the canvas and does not lose track of the initial abstract foundation.

A point is reached in the process when the artist decides the painting is almost complete. He or she slows down, and the need of each brushstroke is carefully evaluated. With only a very few careful accents, highlights and some calligraphy for detail, the artwork is finished. This last stage is also of utmost importance and every brushstroke during this short period is crucial to the success or failure of the painting. With mindless brushstrokes and overworking the painting with unnecessary details, the painting almost always succumbs to failure.