Hi Sharon,
I love the Michael Harding oil paints. They are denser than the Blockx which are too thin for my liking. The are heavily pigmented and can always be softened by the addition of a little oil. I mix my own grays.
Paxton's flesh colors are beyond compare and the understated nature of his application is, for me, evidence that he doubled as a zen master. He would use Vermillion when it was called for. I saw a painting last year in which he used a hue progression of Venetion Red to Indian Red to Alizarin to paint a red cloth next to a nude figure. Those colors just resonated in juxtaposition to the neutrals surrounding the figure and drapery.
Personally, I find that the experience of looking at intensely colored paintings becomes a jarring one, after a period of time. I believe that subtle colors are more appealing in the long run. I look to Paxton, Bouguereau and Monstead (a landscape painter who studied with Bouguereau) as great examples of this.
It's very hard to have the figure come forward against a full tilt boogie cadmium red background. A successful painting is one where all elements maintain their proper relationships. The Paxton painting I described is a wonderful demonstration of this. Many painters through history successfully employed red backgrounds without grabbing for those cadmiums. Van Dyke is a great example.
On another note I'll be in Boston this weekend at the portrait conference. As I don't get up to Boston often, I want to see as many Paxtons as possible. Can you let me know where I should look. I've got my sites set on the Museum of Fine Arts (The Necklace) and now, thanks to you, the Voce Gallery.
|
Threaded Mode
