From Maaavin's Atlanta Class-Mariah
 

This is from Marvin Mattelson's class this last week in Atlanta. Wonderful to not use Turps! Love the palette. I'm converted. This girl is the Mariah Marvin has painted and posted too.

Val

Great job, Val!

Beautiful...

Tom,
Thanks for that! It is not as rich in color as the one I did in Chris' workshop last month but I think it is because I used raw umber and did a complete value study wash in (like Marvin teaches) and then I applied the colors over that adhering to values more than color. The goal is to be able to layer with scumbles and reach richness and luminosity. Next time should be even better!

Chris,

With what I learned with you, how to be professional, present myself, deal with the customer, schedule, have confidence in myself and my work, accept money, and the confidence I achieved in your class, I feel complete! I can't thank you enough for all I learned and your generosity.

Always

Beautifully painted, Val! I like this very much.

Valerie,

I love it!

Please tell us more about your experiences!

:thumbsup:

My pal Val
 

Here's a picture of Val in action. Right behind Val is Patty. I've also posted her painting of Moria which might give you a better idea of it's richness.

By the way, if you ever get a chance to meet Val and you wonder why she's so shy and inhibited, it probably means that aliens are inhabiting her body. Just sayin' !

Beautiful job Val! I love the palette as well and used it on my last painting.

i can see Marvin misses us.

Ohhh Mauvin...I'm a gemini. There are two of me. Your evil twin brought out my evil twin. (Why didn't you say to suck in my gut in that picture? dang it) Yesterday, I had Mariah's portrait hanging in my living room, a sales person came by on an appointment and ordered one of her daughter right there and then! My hubby was buying a TV entertainment center and he just started cracking up. He supports me in my cool studio now! And my class with you! Thanks Marvin!


Elizabeth, Thanks! My experience...hum... The room was spacious. Two models and not two many students. He taught like a teacher with many years of teaching. Patient, funny, thorough and well planned lessons. We packed years into that week. (I'm trying to think...and nothin's happening - could be the turps I used in the past) Anyway...tools were discussed. Slides were shown of some of Marvin's favorite masters, indepth evaluation of their approach to achieving form and illusion on 2 D surface, why painters have a tougher job than sculpters, the setting up of the model, lighting, position, composition, the value study in raw umber, the whys and wherefores of that, on to the color lay in, more study of how to turn form, it just is EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT PAINTING A PORTRAIT. With what I learned at Chris Saper's class and then Marvin's I'm headed in exactly the direction I sought out for my career. Thanks to both of them!

Thanks Sharon. I'm going to use it on all my paintings. I loved the control. All I have to ask myself after the wash in is, "How does it differ?" Then look at my pre-mixed palette and choose. It's awesome.

Very nice portrait Val. Congratulations on the commission!

A student's two cents worth
 

It is very difficult for me to verbalize my experience of Marvin's workshop. This being my first portrait painting from life, Marvin's approach gave me clear direction, every step of the way. I had quoted David Lloyd George a week before the workshop, "Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps". Well, this truly was a chasm crossing experience for me from drawing to painting. I strongly recommend Marvin's workshop for students ready to move from drawing to painting (even when you don't know you are ready ;) ) JIMMIE, IT's YOUR TURN!

Marvin's palette is easy to understand, every step makes perfect sense. Watching Marvin paint from beginning to end had me transfixed. Truthfully, he had 100% rapt attention from every artist. I stand in awe, Maavin!!! And feel eternally grateful for your generosity.

Here is my humble approach at the first, monochromatic stage. (BTW, Val's portrait is amazing, I was fortunate to have the easel next to her, to watch her's develop - thanks for the support, Val!!)

Patricia,

Stunning! What a LEAP!. Aren't you glad we all nagged you to death!

Nice going Patricia, that looks really good!

I'm Laughing, Sharon! Yes, I am soo glad you nagged. Because I would NOT have attended had it not been for the encouragement here on the forum from all of you.

And then, after making the decision and sending my money in, I came so close to cancelling when the builders finally closed on our townhouse a few days before the workshop. But Marvin gave good council, "I think that what you learn in the workshop will have profound influence on the work you want to produce..."

And then, when I decided to ignore the moving mess, the total chaos of my life, Marvin replied,"You may have learned more making this choice then most people will ever learn about portrait painting. In making the choice to attend you have demonstrated the greatest attribute needed to be a successful and accomplished artist. There will be many times you will feel thwarted by either your mental attitude or by seeming insurmountable circumstances. Your own willingness to surrender at those times is your lifeline in those instances."

So, enough about my experience. I happen to know there are one or two "lurkers" here who also attended Maavelous Maavin's workshop. They produced some great paintings too! Come out come out wherever you are... ;)

Thanks Val for your generous account of the week's goings on. Congrats on the commission. Go you! You said to me on the last day, you felt this was your best portrait ever. Not for long, babycakes! I also want to clarify to people that this painting was painted in just three days. Imagine if you actually got to finish it.

Patty, you did so well. I was so excited to see your progress each time I came over to your easel. I'm just sorry you had to leave one day early, but I understand you had a lot going on with your moving into a new space. I'm glad you chose to come in spite of all of that. Life is way too short to put one's passion on hold and I'm thrilled you chose to take the leap. Your lay-in was really great as well and I hope you post it. People would be amazed to see what you did in one day with color. No one in the workshop could believe that this was just your first portrait painted from life. I'm extremely proud of you.

We also had another forum participant there as well. Laurel the Lurker. She did a truly awesome job and I hope she registers to participate here on the forum, as she promised she would. Eh?

It always amazes me how I manage to attract the most wonderful people to take my classes and workshops. I guess it's a case of opposites attracting? We had an incredible group of people for this workshop and I had so much fun leading them through the morass. We were also blessed to have two terriffic models to inspire us, Moria and Leah. BTW, Leah signed up to take my next workshop in Atlanta. The week flew by and I'm already counting the days 'til Durham.

Pat from the looks of that underpainting, Valerie was just as lucky to be by you! WOW, it is wonderful!

Yeah, we are holding you to this! ;)

He is a great teacher isn't he!

Patty, good going! I love it too. I was so busy getting mine going I didn't get to really appreciate your painting in the class. Way to go! And Elizabeth is sooo right, I was just as honored to be next to you. Beautiful job, it matches your beautiful personality and smile.

Thanks Marvin, you're tops.

Where are you LTL? (Laurel the lurker)

Back to the easel!

Val

Thanks, Marvin and Val! And thanks, Elizabeth! Wow.

Val and Pat,

Your excitement and enthusiasm radiates through my monitor. It makes me want to paint.

Congratulations to both of you for what I think are fantastic portraits from life. They look great!!

Your positive workshop experience with Marvin does not come as a surprise to me, it only confirms what I have been trying to share since I experienced the "WOW" of it all for myself.

Oh Marvin, July ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT COME FAST ENOUGH FOR ME!!!!

beautiful!!
 

This is another gorgeous portrait - - - and I'm thoroughly interested in learning Marvin's technique.

Marvin -- do you make housecalls?
<g> Maybe someday if I can find someone who can handle babysitting six kids I'll make it to the class....

I'm attempting a portrait TODAY with this technique as discussed here on the forums (I know that's a poor substitute), but I don't know the palette. I am guessing.
Is it shared anywhere other than Marvin's class?


cheryl

Cheryl, I'm glad to hear you're interested in a workshop. It's not really a technique that I teach, but a way to approach painting. It is appropriate for any stylistic leaning, painterly to controlled.

Yes I make house calls but it gets pricey.

In the course of my week long workshop I can barely cover the intricacies of how and why I use color. I wish I had the time to do a video or write a book and make my approach more available, but for now, I can't afford the time. However nothing beats the experience of watching what I do first hand and having the opportunity to question anything that seems unclear. This is the very best way to learn. No close seconds.

It's my experience that when people are ready to move forward, they will make the necessary arrangements.

In the meantime here are the colors I recommend to my students. All colors are Winsor and Newton except for the white, which is made by Michael Harding and available only from the Italian Art Store.

Colors for flesh and wherever else appropriate:
MH Flake White #2
W&N Terra Rosa
W&N Yellow Ochre
W&N Yellow Ochre Pale
W&N Indian Red
W&N Ivory Black
W&N Raw Umber

Colors to round out palette:
W&N Burnt Sienna
W&N Alizarin Permanent
W&N Viridian
W&N French Ultramarine Blue

Colors I use only where very intense color is needed. Not placed on the palette unless necessary:
W&N Cadmium Scarlet
W&N Cadmium Yellow Pale

Pat & Val - Good for you two! Great job - and sounds like you had fun as well.

Marvin - just curious, do you have your students mix up the colors like you do beforehand? I have heard it said that it takes days to premix your palette and I am wondering how it fits in with just a week.

Marvin,



Thank you so much! What a lot of frustration this will save me.




cheryl

Hey wait ...aren't those Marvelous Marvin Mahl Stick Bridges on all those easels?

What's with that?

Elizabeth,
Yes, they are Marvin's mahl stick supports! After trying it I loved it. I bought one right away. No more looking for my mahl stick! It became part of the easel and I don't waste time any longer looking for it. I really like that.

Cheryl, just getting the list of colors would have been fairly useless to me. You see, as Kim mentioned, there is a system of mixing that reminds me of having pastels. There are strands of colors each going from the darkest value to the lightest, 2-9.You mix say...the yellow strand using yellow ochre pale & white to achieve value 9 (the lightest before white) and you use yellow ochre & yellow ochre pale for next values, then yellow ochre & raw umber to achieve even darker values. After doing that you have a complete range of yellows (values 2-9)at your disposal. When you look at your resource at a yellow area you ask yourself how does it differ from my wash in? I look at my palette of yellows, pick the value, add a touch of whatever it takes to achieve what I see and there you go.I don't this gives this method a fair shake. We had 6 days of solid learning to be "introduced".

Kim: As Marvin says.. .It is all painting. As I mix my palette, I'm evaluating hues/values/intensity. Over and over. It took 1.5 hours the first time. I expect it to take less time than it took to write my emails over the last 2 days. about 1 hr. I will be able to determine my value etc of paint that I need immediately. No more guessing. I will not have to trial and error my way through a painting. I'm doing a cougar right now that I worked on for at least 3 weeks pushing and pulling color over and over. Too intense, too dull, wrong hue. Geez! ! ! Then I got Marvins list of supplies for the workshop and saw the care and purpose in his list, figured I better slow down and choose very wisely in my cougar painting. I limited my palette, approached with purpose and wha la. It finished itself. No kidding. It will be up on my website in a couple of hours. :thumbsup:

I would love a Mahvelous Marvin Mahl Stick support. How can I get one?

(Incidentally, if anybody is interested, the new Betty Edwards book Color suggests that artists make three separate color wheels - hue, value and intensity. The 12-step circular imagery is to me easier to manage mentally - a handier mnemonic - than is a linear progression (that is, you think of a value being at 3:00 rather than further down the line) Practically speaking, I haven't figured out how to set up a palette this way, though. Sorry for digression.)

Linda,

If you want a mahl holder just email Marvin. He makes them himself. Cool

Regarding your palette suggestion, it's all good eh? Anything that slows us down, focuses these beautiful right brains of ours is a gift. I am pretty rock headed so I need simplicity. I didn't realize it until I used this limited palette. What's good about it to me is that a brainiac (brain eee aak) named Marvin did all the leg work for me while I was too dense to even see I needed control. He studied the masters, and I mean studied. Learned their methods and colors and medium. Applied to today and is sharing it with others. Wow. Thanks big guy.

Kim,

People who choose to use my palette long range eventually tube the different color strings. Then they can just squeeze them out in minutes. The tubing is what takes days. Actually mixing out the palette, however, requires far less time. In the workshop people have overnight to do it. The more acute their eye is to translating color to value the faster they do it. Val did it pretty fast the first time.

The point that Val was eluding to was, mixing up the palette is not a precursor to painting. It is painting. Until you have developed the ability to see color in terms of value you have no chance at doing a successful portrait. I tell my students if they want to practice painting, then practice mixing the palette up. I did this for a year before I ever tubed.

Using my palette set-up speeds up the painting process tremendously when you're in front of the model. My students are amazed that although it looks like I paint very deliberately I get a lot done. This is because I'm not hunting and pecking.

There is also a misconception that somehow I'm using formulaic color solutions that leads to a similarity in the color of the skin. Not true. There are no recipes. Everything is based on evaluating what you see and making the appropriate choices.

My palette provides me with the necessary range to capture the nuances specific to each individual complexion I paint. It is an impressionistic use of color, in the true sense. The color is very lifelike but the paintings need to be seen in the flesh, so to speak, to appreciate what they look like. I am not painting for reproduction. like when I was an illustrator. My end result is the painting itself. The subtlety cannot be captured on film in the same way that real flesh cannot be captured on film. Maybe someone who saw the originals would like to share their experience of how they appear.

I make the mahl stick supports and brush organizers because of the response of my students to their usefulness. If anyone is interested in buying either of them send me an email.

I've been using Marvin's pallette for over a year now. I continue to mix it fresh each time as it proves to be a good exersise for my eye and judgement before I approach the canvas. It usually needs touching up throughout the week.

I've seen a few of Marvin's originals. It's true, they can't be compared realistically to Photographs or uploads. I'm sure most of us would agree that we are not happy with the photographs of our paintings no matter how good they are. They always leave something to be desired.

Marvin, regarding your mahl stick, do you sell one that attaches to your canvas? I thought that was what you used in Atlanta.

Patty just sent me some photos of our portraits in progess. This is the point at which the value study has been done in raw umber, it has been allowed to dry, I'm taking a white conte pencil and "correcting" & redrawing. Next post is the close up.

Here's the closeup of the above stage. This is great because we get so many chances to work out the bugs.

A Hush fell over the crowd
 

As Maaahvin is about to redefine Leah's dimple...

"Ooooooh, we love your touch Maahvin..."

(note Leah's reaction to the crowd's gasp!!!)

More of Leah!
 

You know if Marvin is in Atlanta I am surely there too! This was my fourth workshop in short of two years (I am working on going to two more this year, lucky Marvin). I met Marvin at the Portrait Society of Atlanta in February 2003 and have been a firm believer of his way of seeing things ever since (also a constant pest). There are folks that drift from artist to artist as I did and it was like grasping at straws, gain something here and there. But now there is Marvin! He capsules all the things that we learn but he cuts through all the other hazy BS that seems to get between the really important points. My palette is so simple now and easier to manipulate. Everytime I use it, it just gets better. It is always amazing how much better my paintings get as I go along! The color variations and subtleties just get better the more I practice what Marvin preaches! Anyone out there that is thinking about taking Marvin's classes in New York or one of his Wandering Workshops, please do so, it is a real eye opener.

There isn't enough that I could say about Marvin but I am grateful to have run across him for he has definitely help me in my pursuits of better portrait paintings.

I paint all the time mind you because I instruct at different venues around Atlanta plus I play in my studio a lot! Everytime I finish one of Marvin's workshops I start a portrait right away just so that I can try to remember what I learned and utilize it right away! Here is the progression!

Lynn, great illustration of your progress! And a big WOW!

I am so glad you posted, I couldn't wait to see what you thought and how it went. You should take a few bows too for all the work you do helping arrange these workshops, I hear you are awesome!

Great model choices!

Hello, Lynn-

I'm so glad you posted these images. GREAT WORK!

And I'm glad you're still playing in your studio. Have fun and I hope to see you sometime this year.

I love Patty's sense of humor! We had a great time. I know we have been going on and on here but I guess what captured us is the way Marvin presents the material. Because he has such a LIGHT approach, it makes learning a "new" way fun. He reminds us that he is just putting pigment on canvas and that's it. (though we fully understand how exciting and rewarding that can be) He has a light sense of humor and absolutely is patient and yes, loving to all his students. It was a pleasure. Just as Chris Saper's class was.

Lynn,
So great to see your finished painting of Leah! It looks great, the color and the likeness... I, too, want to thank you for all the work you put into organizing the workshop. You make it very easy for us to get organized (that is saying ALOT for me!!).

Wow Lynn. You've progressed a tremendous amount. All your hard work has paid off. When will we begin to see more of your work on the forum?

Holly

Hi! Ya'll!
 

Well just shut my mouth. Bless your little ol' pea pickin' hearts!

Pat, Beth, Holly and John thanks for the warm reception on the four workshop paintings!

Holly I like to watch more than post!

I have a fun time painting, and have a great time helping Marvin out with these things when and where I can.

Val! Where do you get light humor? Marvin got us all rolling more than a few times there. We did tend to hand the 'humor ball' back and forth a lot but I really think that helped us to all remember a lot of what was being said and taught!

I always look forward to painting with new people too, it seems no matter what the group is like there is good camaraderie and a lot of us continue to stay in touch.

Ya'll take care now, ya hear!