Figure Painting from Life

This model posed in a big sunhat for about 30 minutes. It's fun to try to paint faces that are mostly in shadow. You must control your values carefully. I like the low contrast and minimal brushstrokes in the facial features.

Large Figure Paintings

Here are 2 larger works done a couple of years ago. The Roller Derby girls is 20x16 and the Cumbia/Salsa dancers is 30x24". I've been painting small (under 9x12) for awhile now and am yearning to do larger works! Attending a Paul Wright painting workshop in May and hope that he will influence me to go much larger.

Green Clown

I'm happy with the juicy paint here. This is a model in my Illustration class. The costume is white but under a yellow light the shadows appear very cool. 8x10" oil painting

Nude in a Bathtub

Used the clawfoot tub in my house as a prop for this 10x8"oil painting. I'd love to do more interiors a la Vuillard and Bonnard...

Girls at Barton Springs Pool

This is from Barton Springs Pool in Austin. Owned by my friends Sheri and David Wright.

Swimmer Oil Painting

Here is another from the same series. This one sold at the opening.

Swim Paintings

This is another 36" square oil painting. The distortion in form and the color changes in flesh caused by the water are really fascinating! Taken at Stacy Pool in Austin.
I wonder if other painters have any thoughts on painting from photos vs. from life?
I did a pencil underdrawing and gridded the image before painting.

Swimmer Oil Paintings

Here's another from the swimmer series. It's from a photo taken at Barton Springs pool in Austin. I did a number of these in a large square size (36x36"). I have always liked a centered composition even though I know it's "composition for dummies". This goes back to mandala paintings I did in college which looked like big quilts. Maybe some kind of unconscious urge to meditate?