Friday, November 1, 2013

PORTRAIT ON TYVEK: STAGE 1


For this painting, I wanted to use the photo but make some changes.  A greenish background and red hair were the changes I wanted from the dark red background and dark hair of the photo.

I began this one on Tyvek, something Myrna Wacknov paints on all the time.  I drew it while looking at the sketch (not the photo) I did in the recent portrait workshop, using a red watercolor pencil to draw on the Tyvek.  This stage is just the first layers of paint.  I'll do the mouth and darken some features before I do the eyes.  Right now I think I'll remove some of that ear, blending more hair around it, and widen the hair mass on her right side (it looks a bit thin right now).

I like the texture of the Tyvek.  It is all through the paper so you just work with it and accept it in the skin.  

I am going to let my students have Tyvek paper and try it out next week during our regular class.  

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I like the idea of starting with a photo and then making creative changes of your own. It's interesting to know your thought processes as you move forward with this one. I'm looking forward to the next step!

hw (hallie) farber said...

This is looking good. I still haven't tried tyvek; I have some I begged from a local builder and it's rolled up in a corner.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Katherine. It was really interesting to read your latest post about the woman in the woods - and how varied the responses were to that drawing! I think we always bring our own ideas/beliefs/emotional state to a work of art as a viewer.

Hallie, thanks. Get out that Tyvek and try it! If it's too slick, use some mat medium over it in a thin wash to help the colors stick (If I remember correctly, that's what we did when we used it in a class and it was hot off the construction site.)

Autumn Leaves said...

That looks awesome so far, Rhonda. The textures in the paper are coming through beautifully. The blue background is gorgeous.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Sherry. I might get to it again today to do more.

http://carolking.wordpress.com said...

I've never painted on Tyvek. I'll have to give it a try. I think this is coming along really well so far.

RH Carpenter said...

Carol, It's a fun and different surface with lots of nice texture built in with the threads that run through it - which holds the paint and makes darker areas. Next time you're going by a construction site, pull some off and tell them it's for ART!