13 May 2011

Korben Dallas – Summer Nudes – Male and female body mural

Just finished a new piece which I am very proud of.  It's the first time I've included two figures in an image.  This is part of my ongoing bid to built more narrative into my pieces.  I call this one Summer Nudes and it was inspired by a programme on BBC4 the other night.  The show was about Petworth House, a National Trust owned property packed with classical art.  The ancient Roman sculptures stand alongside 19th century equivalents, the new paying tribute to the old.  These beautiful images blew away my creative block like an air gun and I set about planning this piece.

3 Most Important Things I learned today

  1. Have a lunch break! Don't try and finish the picture in one go, it's OK to leave it for an hour while you eat.
  2. Spend more time doing the initial mark up. The first marks you lay down on a canvas will be the reference points for every mark from then on.
  3. Trust your palette! If you have only put down the background fill and the brown is looking green next to the undercoat, don't be tempted to abort and change colour.  It will all make sense when the reds and yellows are introduced and the base coat gets totally covered up. (I so nearly ruined this piece by changing colours half way through but I'm glad I didn't)