View of Mill Through Window (Oil Bar Painting Day 1)

View of Mill Through Window (Oil Bar Painting Day 1) Originally posted by randubnick

This is how this painting looked after the first painting session (January 3rd). Earlier that day, I had made the digital sketch on my PDA (posted yesterday). Then I went to the studio to start the oil bar painting. This is the view through a mill window in Manchester, New Hampshire, looking out at brick, windows, and river. I based this image on one of my posterized photos, as well as my digital sketch, and I took print-outs of both to the studio. My first goal was to lay out the composition, which I could do quickly because I had done the digital sketch. My second goal was to cover the whole canvas with paint. I was concerned about getting this painting done in time for an upcoming art show. Execution was less of a concern than drying time. Oil bars are oil paints in stick form. They dry faster than traditional oil paint, but not that fast! So my second goal for the first day was to cover the entire canvas with paint. Large areas would need more time to dry; modifying colors and adding details would take less paint and could be done later and still dry. The image posted here is really underpainting, rough because I was working quickly. But that day I left the studio satisfied with the composition, optimistic about finishing the painting in time, and relieved because this image is one of the first ideas I had for the show.