Dear Subscribers,

 

Greetings!

 

Extra beefy newsletter this week.

 

My work is featured in issue 108 of Practique des Arts
 , a French magazine!

 

  

 

Speak French? I hope to show you the full version soon. In the meantime,
here are some little teaser images:

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

This past week was good. Three new still-life paintings in six days.
Shazam.

 

The setup.

In reality, the light in my setup is brightest closer to the source. But
the light is just a tool. You're not a slave to your setup. You are in
control. Interpret instead of being literal. Otherwise, why paint at
all?

I want to concentrate the light around my center of interest, the glass
of milk.

 
 

 

First stage. Shape of shadow in umber:

 
 

 

Next stage: Switching to knife. Establishing brightest bright, darkest
dark, purest color.

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

Next stage. I went over that milk again and again and again. Subtle
value changes and color.

 
 

 

And the finished painting, "A Glass of Milk and Some Onions"

(8x10):

 

 

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I didn't get any progress photos of this next still life because of some
camera troubles. It's too bad because I feel particularly good about
this one. Alas! Anyway, I used milk again. This is kind of a reversed
order of light as compared to the previous painting. Light on objects
that trail back instead of forward. You'll notice the light source is in
the same position for both paintings.

 

"Night Convoy" 
(9x12):

 

  

 

(Click through the image above to Like it, Pin it, Tweet it)

 

Switching to more light...

The setup. I plan to put the apple (center of interest) SMACK DAB in the
center of the panel while creating a feeling of balanced assymetry with
the other elements:

 
 

 

First stage. Dealing with a previously used panel here, with some chunky
textures. This isn't a big deal because I know I'll be using a knife
with thick paint.

 
 

 

Next stage. Usually I advocate painting the center of interest first.
However, the value of the panel and the value of my chosen background
are different enough that I'd like to get a better sense of what's going
on first. Ideally I would have started with a panel that was better
suited to this composition.

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

Next stage:

 
 

 

I've been experimenting lately with using abstract elements as tools to
manipulate and improve a composition. It's freeing. The possibilites are
endless.

 

And the finished painting, "Fulcrum"
  (8x10):

 

  

 

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JUST SOLD!:

 
 

"Two Tangerines"

 

Until next week,

David A. N. Cheifetz
www.davidcheifetz.com  

 

Still-life Class Info
 

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