Just curious: do you draw BEFORE you paint (with color?) I always love seeing the tools of the trade. And do you squeeze the paint from the bottom, the way one is supposed to do with toothpaste?
Yes I usually sketch out the placements of objects first to make sure the picture works as it does in my head.
Paint tubes are the most annoying things painters have to deal with (well I speak for myself of course). The tube you want is never to be found (it's probably on the floor, hiding, or disguising itself as another color), you have to squeeze it with one hand or your teeth as every other possibility is crammed with dirty brushes, you know that if you don't find the color and get it squeezed out quickly you'll have forgotten why you want it and all this is done to a soundtrack of loud curses which makes all the cats run off down the stairs. I don't know what tooth brushing is like chez toi but it's certainly calmer than squeezing out paints here.
Possibly I'm more organised in the tooth brushing department than in the painting department, one of the reasons i've never made a film of me painting - quelle idée monstreuese!
Julian, I just read your comment. It sounds exactly like the way I work. Fumbling and cursing at stuff. At least all your fumbling and cursing is producing great results.
A great painting! This one and the recent "Night Portrait" are masterworks.
I hope you are not serious when you mention squeezing paint tubes with your teeth. A well known Australian portrait painter who has recently had a serious "brush" with tongue cancer had a long time habit of holding brush handle clenched between his teeth. Over many years this practice nearly killed him. Please take care!
Julian, you make me laugh out loud as I read your description of the lost tube "disguising itself as another color" - so true!! why is it that so many of us artists are also excellent writers - something to do with "description" just in different media . . . Jennifer
Just to say I don't actually hold anything in my mouth whilst painting but have been known to go to the shops with a large transferred smear of allizaron crimson across my face.
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Paint tubes are the most annoying things painters have to deal with (well I speak for myself of course). The tube you want is never to be found (it's probably on the floor, hiding, or disguising itself as another color), you have to squeeze it with one hand or your teeth as every other possibility is crammed with dirty brushes, you know that if you don't find the color and get it squeezed out quickly you'll have forgotten why you want it and all this is done to a soundtrack of loud curses which makes all the cats run off down the stairs. I don't know what tooth brushing is like chez toi but it's certainly calmer than squeezing out paints here.
Possibly I'm more organised in the tooth brushing department than in the painting department, one of the reasons i've never made a film of me painting - quelle idée monstreuese!