Long Neck, Zorn Palette

April 8, 2014February 8, 2023 J R Dunster4 Comments

I’ve mentioned the Zorn Palette before. It’s a limited painting palette that consists of four colors: White, Black, Vermillion (Orangey-red) and Yellow Ochre. It’s incredible how many colors can be achieved with just these four paints! The background on this painting “looks” blue, but it’s just black and white mixed together. (Black is often a bit cool, which will create the illusion of a muted blue.) The purple in the shadow side of her face is a mixture of white, black, and vermillion. Mixing colors was so fun for this painting!

Here’s another recent example of the Zorn palette in action. (Scroll down the page to see the second painting.)

Again I used a stock photo for reference. Thanks go to shewarmachine.

Meh…lissa – oil on panel

April 6, 2014 J R DunsterLeave a comment

Many thanks to Mehlissa who made her stock photo available for artists to use as reference.

I found this photo a few years ago, and finally got around to using it! I enjoyed trying to analyze the shadows and cool muted tones in her skin and attempting to capture them with paint. In a way this painting was a major breakthrough for me, as I’ve been trying to push my understanding of color and brushwork.

I painted on Gessobord, by Ampersand, a wonderful type of artists’ panel that is primed with an acrylic-based “gesso” that has the texture of eggshell. It’s an absolutely sublime surface to paint on, for either oils or acrylics! With this painting, I used oils.

paintings · portraits

Blue Dreads – oil on panel

April 4, 2014June 19, 2015 J R DunsterLeave a comment

Yep, another study from a stock photo I found on DeviantArt! This time it’s a fellow named This-is-RArt. I loved his blue dreadlocks.

I’m studying warm and cool tones, and how they relate to the portrait especially. After attending a workshop taught by Adam Clague, I have felt like something has “clicked” and I’m seeing things differently! It’s strange, because it’s not like I didn’t “see” before—I’ve been drawing and painting for a long time. Continue reading “Blue Dreads – oil on panel” →

paintings · portraits

“Exotic Simplicity.”

April 3, 2014 J R Dunster2 Comments

I don’t know where that title comes from. I need a name for a painting, and this will do.

Exotic Simplicity, oil on panel, 8×8 inches

I must credit Cathleen Tarawhiti, whose photograph I used as reference. She makes some of her photos available for “stock,” as a reference for artists, and I’ve got quite a few of her photos stored on my iPad.

A few weeks ago I was hanging out with some artist friends and wanted something to paint, so I pulled up a photo on my iPad and started this little study. I did most of it in one night.

The original photo is of a figure, but thanks to my iPad’s capabilities, I was able to zoooooom in and just look at her face. Maybe someday I’ll do a painting based on the full figure.

Until recently I printed out photos to use as reference, but was encouraged by some friends to work from a computer monitor. That wasn’t convenient, so instead I use an iPad. It’s working out great! And I needed an excuse to indulge in an iPad.

paintings · portraits

Emo Boy – a limited palette study

January 27, 2013 J R DunsterLeave a comment

Emo Boy, oil on 4×5 inch panel. Stock photo credit http://fav.me/d45j276

Thank you to XXMAUROXX on DeviantArt for the use of his stock photo in making this painting. It’s not that good of a likeness; I was going more for an attitude or “feel” here.

I’m going to start doing some studies and exercises in the limited palette. This painting is loosely based on the Goya Palette (similar to the Zorn palette). I used Titanium/Zinc White, Mars Red, Yellow Ochre, and Lamp Black to make this painting. It was a good way to study color mixing! I had to try to create the illusion of greenish-grey (his 5-O’clock shadow) through mixing black, white, and a little yellow. (The black I used had a coolish tint.) The red of the lips and the nose weren’t true cherry red, but earthy red. When seen in contrast with the other more subdued colors, it looks far “redder” than it otherwise might be. That’s the exciting thing about painting with a limited palette.

paintings · portraits

Flowing Hair

December 10, 2012 J R DunsterLeave a comment

A shout-out to Gifsandstock at DeviantArt for letting me use their fab stock photo as reference!

“Flowing Hair,” oil on cradled wood panel, 6×6 inches. This image is cropped. Click to see it uncropped.

I was struck by the stock photo (by Gifsandstock!) and wanted to do a painting inspired by the moody photo. I hope it turned out okay. I’m always learning something about how to mix colors, apply paint, and so forth. So much more to learn! So much more practice to do! But then every artist (if they’re being honest with themselves) will tell you the same thing!