Based on a picture. Acrylic and oil pastel 50x60cm
It was a difficult procedure, following Christianne Knops ideas. The different stages:
stage1: blocking in the areas. Here you can still recognize the forms of the original photograph.
stage 2: bringing back the lines with oil pastel
stage 3: different colourfields, extending beyond the border. Each field should show a little of the previous one. Linework should behave freely around the colourfields, not restrict them. This was how last week ended.
Stage 4: today, just painting a totally different colour on top. This was very difficult to do, I had to give up on the parts I loved the most. Killing your darlings.
Stage 5: I enhanced the skintones, the strong arms needed to be emphasized. 
Stage 6: Due to the arms, the clothes were too bleak. I added a contrast colour, carefully leaving traces of the old layers visible.
Stage 8 (final, see the first image): the dress was interesting of colour, but alltogether too flat. I added an extra layer of purple-grey.
I also adjusted the background.
Then the linework again, with orange white and black oil pastel.
The point is: when to stop. I worked over 4 hours on this, and could have gone on.
But I reached the point where I had the feeling that whatever I added would not make it better or more interesting.
I guess that is the learning point.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing your process, Rene. Although I'm not a big fan of abstract painting, I find it very interesting to see how you proceeded through this project. I liked your colours and the way you layered them and, like you, I also have a problem in deciding when a painting is finished. Sometimes I look at a painting I did years ago and finally see what is wrong with it (or what has to be refined). Working as creator and editor, I sometimes need a pause to look at things with fresh eyes.
Anyhow, interesting work.
Thanks for your remark, and I agree on your points.
I never liked abstract so much, but in these kind of paintings it lets you focus not on the subject, but on the way colour, texture and paint work. You really learn a lot with these exercises. And you learn to value "real" abstract painting in a better way.
My favourite abstract painters have changed.
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