Looks like I’m the first to post from today’s lesson. Here is my tracing with tinted clear gesso applied after I did the sketch. I figured that way I couldn’t accidently smear the drawing as I am working on it. Also notice how I have chosen to leave the reference photo that I traced from attached. The top edge is totally taped down from edge to edge. If I need to find something I missed or figure out where a line came from, I just flip it down over the artwork. Since I trace all the time, I figured out this was most effective for me.
I put three coats of white gesso tinted with yellow ochre on a bare board. Then did the transfer in pencil and went over it with acrylic pen and erased the pencil. Then put one coat of clear gesso to see how it goes on, since I have never used any of this stuff before. I don’t know if my drawing is detailed enough. I guess I’m going to find out. I felt like my last drawing had too many lines for the painting, so we will see how it goes. I am looking forward to seeing how one represents these feathers with a paintbrush!
Here’s my primed rooster on pre primed gesso panel from hobby lobby, very similar to what Matt is using. I traced it then added a coat of acrylic clear gesso with some yellow oxide. I seem to be ready for next lesson.
Hi Sonia, I was worried the clear gesso might smear the graphite but looks both you and Terri @robichon were able to get a good tinted surface without affecting the drawing! Good to know. Thanks, Jim Z
Mine isn’t painted yet but just traced using a woodless pencil like someone (Buddy or Terri?) mentioned at class. Tracing went well and yes James wondering if all the details will go away with an acrylic wash…we’ll see?
Using clear gesso “after” doing the pencil sketch is something I thought about and tried the first time after doing the landscape painting that is a part of this lesson series. It worked great because once gesso is over the drawing you can’t remove the drawing (accidentally) anymore. And you just paint over it. So, it’s not something that Matt told us about, it’s just something I tried and liked, and now others are following along.
One word of warning, however. On the small landscape painting, after I had the pencil drawing done, I traced over it with pen - and then erased the pencil before doing the clear gesso. I did that because the pen created finer / darker lines that I wanted to be sure would show thru a tinted gesso and I wasn’t sure if the graphite would smear. It worked as planned UNTIL I was painting the road when the ink pen kept bleedint through. The gesso DIDN’T seal it off. It was a real battle in finishing that painting. SO ONLY DO YOUR PRELIMINARY SKETCH WITH PENCIL AND NOT WITH AN INK PEN.
Hi Forum Friends - I’ve gotta admit I can’t wait to get going with the rooster. Matt said that he was going to start with the rooster a section at a time, and then probably add the background as he proceeded to get that in place to better determine the values he is painting. But that it didn’t really matter when the background was painted.
I decided since I had the time, to get the background painted in now. I used Paynes Grey - one of my favorite dark tone colors that has a hint of blue in it.
I then took it a step farther and did something that I haven’t seen Matt do. It’s part of the process that comes from some watercolor lessons I took years ago. I “mapped” in the locations for the red and blue colors, using light tints. They are light enough that I can still see my reference lines under the color. It just helps to keep me from getting lost.
I just got done watching Mondays with Matt - and the lesson to start painting the Rooster (comb and wattle). Here are the acrylic paint colors he used:
