Here we go again! A new painting at it's inception stage. Well, it was time I used my great niece, Jillian, in a painting. Her brother Russell has appeared in "Silver Moon" and "One Stick Pony", mainly because I tend to create images that relate to me as a boy. I have an older sister, and lots of memories of the two of us, so this painting will combine the daily routines of a brother and sister. I've chosen the title of "Bob And Judy", based on the book that will be used in the painting. The names, Bob and Judy are the names of my cousin Judy and her husband Bob, making this painting that much more fun.

The book cover is something that I designed for the painting, using an old truck ad from the 50's, some fun type styles and a little 'artistic license'. (The photo below of Jillian and Russell will be used to put the two of them onto the book cover itself.)

Russell will be tugging on a rag that the dog (on the book cover and in this case, his grandmother) has his teeth into. Jillian points at the dog with amusement.

Although their images are on the book cover, Jillian and Russell will also be amongst the articles that accompany the book.

Jillian will be sitting on the foot of the doll, reading the "A day on THE FARM BOOK with Bob and Judy". She will be holding the doll (the same one she is sitting on) while she is reading the book. Russell will be playing with the truck (the one in front of the book), hauling Tinkertoys to the windmill he built. The table Russell is working on will be the one in the prop setup, built out of Tinkertoys, using a green fin of the windmill for the tabletop.

It's taken me a little more than a week to draw the image onto the canvas. I am using the finest Belgium linen portrait canvas with an oil ground that is double primed.

I'll start by filling in all the areas where the color is known. In other words, if I know what color the object is or 'has to be' to be recognized as that object, then I 'block' that object in with a wash of oil and turpentine. When all the objects that require a specific color are 'blocked in', I will be left with areas that allow me to choose a color to compliment the painting. These areas will be the back wall, the ground the objects sit on and the clothing that the kids are wearing.

Here's a close-up of the lettering on the book. Nice photo Carol! She's always looking over my shoulder...

The top part of the book and part of the Tinkertoy windmill are washed in.

I've worked on the natural wood parts of the Tinkertoys, roughing in their values and hues.

Detail of Tinkertoys.

Detail of the Tinkertoy parts that will serve as the support of the boy's 'tabletop'.

You can see the photo of the doll (left), taped to the canvas, that I use for reference when painting the doll's head.

Here's a close-up of the doll head. Remember, this is just the initial wash of oil and turpentine, used to 'block in' the basic colors (hues) and values (darks and lights). I will adjust these values and hues later with the second and final application of oil.

The baby doll is done for now. Now, I have decided to paint the background in order to see how my choice of values has been on the Tinkertoys and the doll.

There, that helps a lot. It makes the objects start to glow with sunlight.

Here's a doll close-up.

And a closer view of the Tinkertoys.

I set the 50's truck ad on another easel to use for reference while I paint the book.

Here's the book with the kids 'worked' into the 'truck ad' image.

Overall, the painting is blocked in about 2/3's of the way.

The metal truck with its Tinkertoy payload.

The Tinkertoy container is done except for the lid and the instruction sheets.

The lid and instruction sheet are roughed in.

I have just painted the 'green fin' tabletop and the windmill and truck on top of it. I have also painted the book that the girl is reading so that I can determine if I need to alter the clothing of either child to compliment the rest of the coloration in the painting. Once I am happy with the clothing I will choose a color for the ground (floor).

Here is the right corner of the painting, showing the shadows and the floor painted in.

The floor and shadows below the truck...

And Jillian (Judy) sketched in.

Russell is done.

Here they are together...

Now the entire painting is 'blocked in' with its initial oil wash. I'll now reevaluate the values of each hue (the darkness of each color) and begin painting in the final oil passage. The paint will not be thinned at all this time. It will be the consistency of the pigment right out of the tube. Already I can see that the book is too light. It should be dark enough that it looks like the sun does not hit it directly and also dark enough to make a good background for the objects in front of it. I want its value to make the highlight areas on the truck and on Jillian (the places where the sun hits these two) pop out through contrast.

The 'sky' background of the book has the final paint on it now. I darkened it substantially. The value of the blue of the sky will now tell me how dark to paint the rest of the objects on the book cover. I will let it dry and go to the background behind the Tinkertoy windmill. I'll paint it with a value that makes the book pop out from the wall...

Here's a photo with the back wall painted. I not only darkened it more than the initial value, I changed the hue to a shade of burgundy rather than the brownish tint. By increasing the value of the background, I've forced myself to change (darken) many other objects in the painting...

The 'fins' on the Tinkertoy windmill are finished.

The book is done, darkened (because the sun doesn't hit it directly) to provide a value difference between itself and the objects (the girl sitting on the doll and the toy truck) in front of it.

Most of the windmill is finished.

The doll's head is also finished.

The entire doll is done. I warmed up the color to a more 'pinkish' tone on the cloth body.

The toy truck with its 'payload' is completed.

The Tinkertoys are finished. Just the lid of the contaner, the two kids and the cast shadows are left...

Jillian is finished...

So is Russell. With all the props and models completed, I painted in the shadows and the counter/floor.

And now, "Bob And Judy" is finished. The completed oil on linen painting is 40"x50".

(back to Gallery VI)