A PAINTING NEARLY FINISHED.

I will have taken eight days to complete this 18x24" painting by the time it is done.

Bicycle Cafe, in progress, showing the development of values and details over the picture plane. © by Ruth Zachary

Details in the flagstone work were emphasized much more in the foreground, as the original photo suggested. The tables and chairs in the courtyard were drawn in pencil, and then painted in a deep blue color with a very small brush. I decided at that point that I would not be finishing the painting in oils because I did not want to lose the details already established.

Reflections on the bicycles, wheel spokes, more color in the bricks at the right, and in the bark on the tree were details added in the last stages. I indicated the spokes of the wheels by scraping out the pigment along the edge of a ruler, down to the layer of gesso priming on the board.

Values were also deepened more toward the foreground, developing the tones in many washes or glazes, as might be expected with watercolor.

Am I the only one with Technology  Dysphoria ?
I find that photographs I take in these step by step stages are difficult to translate from camera to a working computer, and on to the final computer where I am able to post the images on the blog. They are not all synchronized with each other.

My camera images show up much lighter on the first computer. I work there because it accepts the digital information from my camera. The program for the printer works perfectly with  the old computer, the scanner is excellent and the program for my printer constantly gets messed up on the newest computer, every time an update is imposed. The new computer would require using a new camera, as well. I can't afford to buy everything at one time so that it will all work together.

And often my new computer will not read information on a thumb drive, from the older computer,
so I burn CDs so my new computer can read the info. One problem is that the images on the old computer are quite light, and on the new computer the images appear  darker than the actual painting appears.

One more challenge is that the camera distortion has to be worked out. After correcting the warped wheel on the bicycle closest to the camera, it still wasn't right, so I will be painting the wheel in the foreground over again for a second time. And I will change it, in the painting, at least. It is a matter of personal pride. Then only two or three coats of matte varnish remain to be done.

Bicycle Cafe, nearly finished, with more details  in foreground.  © by Ruth Zachary

Writing and Images are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.