Thursday, May 2, 2013

Encaustic on Glass, Faces and Warm Ups

encaustic on glass
 I'm trying to loosen up..... again.  I get a leeettle too tight and fussy when it comes to painting.  So, I've come to trying to be good about doing warm ups.   I remember way back in gym class and in sports - we'd do warm ups.  We run a little, jumping jacks, sprints - whatever - but the idea is to get the blood flowing and circulating before diving into the nitty gritty of a workout.

After taking the painting faces in wax class with Charlie Levin - I got really intrigued by Charlie's forte which is painting wax on glass or Plexiglas.  Honestly - I wouldn't have thought it could be done.  So, I, naturally being just my pure inquisitive anal self - had to give it a try.  I had this piece of glass and decided to take a run at it.  Well, its hard - this is like my 25th try or so.  I use it as my warm up.  I scrape off the old wax face with a razor blade and give it another go.  Its hard because not only am I trying to paint a face but... I have to think backwards.  What goes down first on the glass is what you see as the top layer on the other side of the glass..  so, painting "inside out" is what Charlie says.  And it is... highlights and the things you want to see "on top" go on the glass first and then layering from there backwards.  In this picture, you are looking at the side of the glass that there physically is no wax - it is all built up on the back side.  The luminosity is magical.

I kinda liked this last face on the glass, so I stopped doing that warm up for a while, so I could enjoy what I had created for a short time, before scrapping it off and going again.  So, I broke out the oil paints and did this little number.  I'm trying new colors and new ways and i seem to be able to figure things out better using oils rather than wax.  Although, this one reealllly doesn't qualify as a warm up because it took too long - lost ground on that leeeeettle too tight and fussy thing - but i like her.  Now to figure out how to translate what I did here to wax.  Need more warm ups.

oil on hardboard
Happy Friday - and a Mama update - She's still there - but now she is perching on the side of her nest rather than all hunkered down inside... I'm wondering if that means we have some hatching going on :)  Will keep you posted.



28 comments:

  1. amazing how a few strokes can suggest a face...these are both wonderful...especially the second one. Really love that little contrasting blue shadow! makes it pop...happy PPF!

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  2. Wow she's amazing as though she is coming right off the page into life! I love the contrast that pulls out the form...really wonderful work!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  3. Love the faces. I would love to try encaustic, perhaps I will manage it one day! Valerie

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  4. That oil painting is fabulous... wonderful underlying structure and great use of colour... the encautic on glass sounds incredible hard though... working the opposite must do your head in a bit, but maybe it is like swapping hands and drawing with your non dominant to get your brain working on drawing... I do this a lot and it never fails to fix my stiffness ... awesome work though...xx

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  5. I think I would find it almost impossible to wok backward Marji! Never mind as a "warm up" (Great practice thought) I am intrigued with this process and will have to look at Charlies work. Your oil painting is stunning! Your style and use of colour in awe inspiring

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  6. Beautiful warms ups Marji. Beautifully composed and fantastic palette of colours. So much inspiring. Thank you for sharing .

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  7. I love that oil painting - it certainly seems like more than just a warm up sketch!! The wax on glass sounds so difficult - starting with the final touches and working backwards - I'm not sure I'd know where to begin! It's a little like negative painting when doing a white dog in indian ink stippling and you're really marking in the shadow rather than the actual hair - takes a lot of concentration!
    So glad to hear Mama is doing well and I'll look forward to hearing tales of the hatchlings!

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  8. ooooh it sounds very difficult but am sure you will win in the end and produce your fabulous art on it. Happy PPF, Annette x

    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  9. Interesting and beautiful paintings! I've never painted with wax.. and I haven't painted much with oil paints, just tried it.. I would maybe try oil paint one day again..
    :)

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  10. Love both of these paintings and your style is great. I have thought of trying my hand at encaustics. Love wax!

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  11. Tight or loose your art is incredible. I enjoyed reading how you process works with the glass.
    Have a great day
    Nicole/Beadwright

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  12. What a wonderful face! Great structure, love the colors, the pinks and the blues and the intensive expression! The glass encaustic painting sounds mind boggling! :)

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  13. Love your faces Marji. I'm also trying to loosen up my style and it's not easy. HPPF!

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  14. wow! love your work. Love the colors on the oil painting. Those blues are so cool.

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  15. Love both, I am so drawn to the oil painting, she is so alive.

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  16. Very good work and character! Glass is a medium that I've never used and I find difficult, but your results will encourage me to try. Salludos

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  17. Faces are a challenge alone but to do them "backwards"! Your face is looking fabulous- esp. putting it on glass! Happy PPF!

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  18. Doing the reverse painting process sounds very demanding. Do you use some kind of sketch (put it under the glass)? That would be helpful to place the colour in the right place.

    The oil painting is wonderfully colourful and expressive! I love that it is unfinished!

    Happy PPF
    Ilona

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  19. I think you're striking an excellent middle ground here -- nothing looks too tight or fussy in the oil. As a viewer I appreciate attention to detail and structure. You do that VERY well Both of these portraits are quite compelling and make me linger. The oil painting tells such a compelling story.

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  20. OMG I love this post!! I didn't know you can try wax on Plexiglas, that looks awesome! I have only treied wood. And I know what you mean by trying to loosen up, I paint pretty tight myself and it is hard to make a loose paint brush!
    Wow... painting backwards, no matter how they call it, has to be extra hard! Your oil paint looks great, I don't think it is fussy at all :oD thanks for sharing both! ♥

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  21. what an absolutely fabulous face - glass is such a great medium - I recently had a chance to prove the truth of having to do everything in mirror reverse when I cut out a logo/title on a stencil, having to write backwards. Yikes! I imagine it's strangely gratifying to paint sthg and just- cut it off with a razor

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  22. Wow, that sounds really difficult, painting backwards! You did a great job! And your little oil face is looking wonderful!

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  23. Oh wow I adore these- I am a 'faces' person, and these are great. Happy PPF and have a great weekend.

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  24. Wow, so much expression in your face and I have to say I love the loose and bold style! ♥ Conny
    http://piaromsartjournaling.blogspot.de

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  25. I love the faces. I am daunted by the process of backwards painting. I'm not sure my mind goes in that direction - lol. Wax on glass - I would never have thought of that one. HPPF

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  26. love your paintings!! I can't imagine trying to use wax on glass and painting in backwards steps-yikes! Great job!

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  27. Oh my goodness, that makes my brain ache just thinking about process of waxing /painting BACKWARDS! See, I always thought you were amazing. Now I KNOW you are SUPER amazing! Love both faces - especially the bold blue in second.

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