Preparing for SOMA exhibition

In just a couple of weeks, I will be participating with a group of artist's in a figurative works exhibition. Obviously, the human figure is the center of attention for the show, something I don't do enough of and in need of remedy. My main problem is having a model to work from life with, my landscapes works, it's no problem, lest the world ends immediately.

There is also the uptight American society to deal with, a society that only associates nudity with sex, is offended by the bare female breast...oh, but show that breast being hacked off in a slasher movie, well, a best seller, by golly!! But, I'm only an artist, figuring out the insanity of my culture isn't for me to do. Bringing beauty in all of natures forms is my job, be it a tree, a stream, or the beautiful curves of the female form.

In order for me to find suitable reference to develop my painting, I searched online and found a source for nude models that can be used by artist's to create their works with no fear of copyright infringement. Thank you, Marcus Ranum on DeviantArt for the image.

So, with the image on my monitor, some soft music playing in the background, I set to work sketching my subject with my #2 bristle brush and thinned down mixture of ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and raw umber. Once I was satisfied with the proportions of my subject, I mixed up a cool grey to fill in the background and gave me a sense of the negative shapes that are also an important piece of the composition.

From there I began to create the form and mass shadows using mixtures of ultramarine blue, titanium white, cad. lemon, pyrrol red, and specks of some premixed greys I use....it's basically the same palette I use for my landscapes.

I worked for a few hours well into the wee morning, 4am to be exact, and decided I needed to stop. I still need to work a few things out that I'm not satisfied with, but overall, I'm somewhat pleased.

The image is on an oil primed 11"x14" solid panel.

OH, IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY NUDITY, DON"T SCROLL ANY FARTHER!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Here is a shot from after the sketching stage, a slight grisaille, and the background painted in.

Moving along with trying to make this work look like a human being. Also, kinda gives you an idea of my palette.

And so, this was alla prima up to this point. I stopped here for the night. I will be revisiting some areas after my eyes get a break.

Here is the completed painting after a couple more hours of adjustments.

I haven't a title yet.

11"x14" oil on panel