Leicht enttäuschend.--++--As a holliday resort it looked promising from above. But the ocean was disturbingly white.The blue went on strike, we was told by the guide.And we thought it was some weired physical effect or chemical trick to entertain us.

Er beschloß, zu üben, stolz auf sie zu sein.--++--Oh, time flies. Everytime he looked at the photo, he thought that. And that it was a mistake to allow the press to use the flash at the ceremony. It makes is all seem wrong, missplaced, overdone, made up and a lot of other not so nice adjectives. But being famous is trading freedom for being remembered. Which is fair because both fade.Still.The ugly pictures are the remaining ones.

He decided to practice being proud of them.------------------------------Wenig wurde hinzugefügt. Die Bretter bekammen eine Schicht Sienabraun um sie hölzerner erscheinen zu lassen und die Kanten etwas heller.Also.Das Photo wurde (dummerweise) mit Blitz gemacht. Also sind die Lichtverhältnisse auf dem Metall total anders. Der Blickwinkel ist tiefer (scheinbar sitze ich meim Malen aufrechter..).Die Briefumschläge sind größer und dichter am Kelch. Tja, und die Farben sind komplett anders.Wie ich am Anfang sagte, das Photo ist eine Skizze. Während des Malens des Bildes habe ich vielleicht ein oder zweimal darauf geschaut, nicht öfter. Also sind alle Änderungen Ergebnis von Beobachtung (Licht auf dem Metall, Blickwinkel)oder von Kompositionsentscheidungen (Abstand zwischen den Dingen, Änderung des Tons und der Intensität der Farbe).Die Entscheidung ist daher immer: Bei der Beobachtung bleiben, oder ändern, um genauer von der Beobachtung zu erzählen. Da gibt es keine generelle Lösung. Man muß jedes mal neu entscheiden. Aber man MUSS entscheiden! Andernfalls gibt es keinen Fortschritt. Weil man nur durch Entscheidungen Fehler machen kann. Und nur die bringen einen weiter.--++--Very little has been added. The bars got a layer of siena brown to look more wooden and to make the edges lighter.Now.The photo has (stupidly) been made with a flash. So the light on the metal is completely different. The point of view is lower (seems I sit more upright while painting...). The envelopes are bigger and closer to the cup. Well, and the colours are completely different.As I said in the beginning, the photo is a sketch. During the painting of the picture I looked at it once or twice at all, not more often. So all the changes are due to direct observation (light on metal, point of view) or due to compositional decisions (distance between things, change of tone and intensity of colours).So the decision is always: Stick to the observation or change to tell about the observation more precisely. And there is no general solution. You have to decide time and time again. But DO decide! Otherwise you can't improve. Because decision is the only way to make mistakes. And only they make you improve.

Everything looked so energetic, so great, so optimistic, so on the internet, so self-assured, so completely on cocaine, that he immetiately regretted to even have waken up. Why can`t things just be. Why have they always to be so exuberant.A grey life. Just for one day.------------------------------Zuallererst Titanweiß für den Hintergrund (der war zu grau und schattig) sowie für das Regal. Mit einem kleinen Pinsel, so das der Umriss der Bretter genauer wird. Grüne Erde für die Umschläge und Igrazinrot für das Magazin und den großen Umschlag. Schwarz unter dem Regal am unteren Rand des Bildes.Dann: Wieder Schatten. Mit Lampschwarz auf dem Kelch, zwischen den Brettern und um das Magazin und die Umschläge. Des Fuß des Kelches sit asymmetrisch geworden. Wird das nächste mal verbessert.Indischgelb auf dem ganzen Kelch und den Umschlägen. Es erstaunt mich immer wieder, wie dieses Pigment ales zum Glühen bringen kann. Jeder, der an Farbew nteressiert ist, sollte dieses Pigment zumindest mal getestet haben !! (Jeder, der es tut, beschreibe bitte seine Ergebnisse in den Kommentaren!)--++--First of all titanium white for the background (it was too grey and to shady) as well as for the board. With a small brush, so the outline of the bars get more precise. Green earth for the envelopes and igrazine red for the magazine and the big envelope. Black below the board on the lower edge of the picture.Then: Shadows again. With lamp black on the cup, between the wooden bars and around the magazine and the envelopes. The lower part of the cup (what is the english word for that? foot?) went asymmetric. Will be corrected next time.Indian yellow all over the cup and the envelopes. It amazes me time and time again, how this pigment can make everything just glow. Anyone who is interested in colour, should at least try this pigment!! (Anyone who does, please describe the results in the comments!)

Aber du hast recht, ich hätte das fragen sollen.--++--I just like to stress, that I didn't drink it. In fact, it was an alien that materialized here, drank it and dissapeared. It was pink. The alien, that is.

No, I didn't ask it's name.Visa? I guess it had one. I don't know.

But your're right, I should've asked that.------------------------------Titanweiß als Grundierung, und eine Bleistiftzeichnung darauf. Ich werde das nicht nach dem Photo malen. Das Ding ist genau vor meinem Arbeitstisch im Atelier. Mir gefielen die Farben. Mal sehen, wie weit wir kommen...Man bemerke bitte, das die Form des Kelches nicht richtig ist, und die braunen Briefumschläge eine andere Form haben und vom Photo abgeschnitten werden. Aber da ich nicht nach dem Photo malen werde muss man sehen, was und wie das verändert werden wird.--++--Titanium white as gesso, and a pencil drawing on it. I am not going to paint this picture using the photo. That thing is right in front of me at my studios desk. I liked the colours. Lets see how far we can get...Note that the shape of the cup is not drawn correctly and those brown envelopes have a different shape and are cut by the photos edge. But since I won't paint after the photo it remains to be seen, what and how this will be altered.

Als Schlüsselsymbol für die Begrenztheit der Lebenszeit in Vanitas Stilleben.--++--Being a key-symbol for the limited time of life, used in vanitas-still -life painting - he thought - is just not appreciating his abilities.He felt highly underestimated, tragically burning down:

Being a key-symbol for the limited time of life, used in vanitas-still -life painting.------------------------------Ultramarin im Hintergrund. Das gibt dem dunklen Milori ein Glühen, das hilfreich ist, wie ich finde. Hinzugefügt wurde ein helles Grün (Permanentgelb und Ultramarin) auf dem Wachs um das Leuchten der Kerze zu zeigen. Die Flamme ist viel heller (als einzige Lichtquelle hat man gewisse Verpflichtungen...).Nächstes Mal was anderes.--++--Ultramarine over the background. It gives this dark milori a glow, that helps, I think. Added is a light green (permanent yellow and very little ultramarine) on the wax to show the glowing of the candlestick. The flame is much lighter ( being the only light source has some obligations...).Next time something else.

2007-04-10

Since a few days I my back behaves in a way, that I am really proud, when I manage to get out of bed within 10 minutes. It makes you humble, walking around like a question mark. Consequently, painting is slow right now.

Well.

It's not really walking.

Anyway, this is the reason for not posting. I have a picture almost ready. Maybe tomorrow.

Kommentare willkommen!--++--And now for something completely different.The panel is "gessoed" with 1:1 Turpentine and Linseedvarnish (Halböl in geman, half-oil). And no pigments. Rose madder and zinc white is used to paint here.So.What is this?Technically speaking, these are some traces of brush strokes. They are organized in a north-east-south-west kind of composition. The paint is thin, almost like watercolour.This is actually, what it IS.But what does it mean, signify or symbolize? For example, magnolia flower-leaves, or well what else? Or in general: Where is the boundary for interpretation?My answer so far: The boundary is in the imagination and knowledge of the viewer, limited and driven by the intention to understand or misunderstand.

Also nächstes Mal eine Schicht Zinkweiß und einige Korrekturen.--++--Now that looks seriously ill. The reason is, that the colours are too dark and the grey freckles still shine through, more than wished.So.After the usual skin tone with green earth as shadow colour and ocher and zinc white for the freckles it simply shows, that the whole thing is too dark and "colourful".

Das große Problem wird sein, den Eindruck einer Hautkrankheit zu vermeiden. Wir werden sehen. Nächstes mal Farbe.--++--All is kept black and white as long as possible. One problem less so to speak.Things to observe:Where are freckles big and where are they small.Where are they dark, where are thy light.Beeing almost circles, note that the view on the freckles almost always is from an angle making them ovals, varying from fat to slim.Where is the concentration of freckles high, where low.

The big problem will be, to avoid the impression of a skin disease. We will see. Next time colour.

Außer der rechte Teil des Schwarz vielleicht.--++--Pale and grey it seemed to him. Life in general. But that, dear reader was a classical projection. He was pale and grey and nothing else.

Except for the right part of the black, perhaps.------------------------------Zinkweiß ist dein Freund. Die eher expressionistischen Farben (außer der Nasenlöcher und der Lippen) sind durch eine dünne Schicht dieses großartigen Pigments gedämpft. Und der flächige Hintergrund ist jetzt erleuchtet und geräumig.--++--Zinc white is your friend. The rather expressionistic colours are dimmed a bit (except for the nostrils and the lips) by a thin layer of that great pigment. And the flat background is now enlightened and spacious.