Winter break

Hurrah, no school for a couple of weeks! In the meantime, I'm enjoying the snow we still have, even as it's melting...

Tempera IV - working with a live model

This is the first time I've ever painted a live model with tempera, and the method we're using has about half a dozen steps, in two phases. Complex! Here are some photos of our work in progress.

Hester working on her underpainting

My underpainting

My tablemate Els' work, next to mine

Brieke at the easel

Luuk demonstrating the 'final touches' on Annemie's painting

Tempera, part III - alla prima

In this lesson we worked on generating a couple of spheres (one with and one without white added) using a technique in which the paint was worked around a bit while still wet. I had pretty good success with this and enjoyed experimenting with it. After that we started learning how to represent skin using our own hands as a subject.

Anita working on her hand

My alla prima spheres (still wet) and my COFFEE (the brown motor, mmmmm)

Two nice little spheres (left no white, right using white) and an underpainting of my hand

Step two, applying the protoplasmos on my hand sketch

Steven showing us...his nice apron? :-)

Tempera, part II - folds in fabrics

We're working out several kinds of "classic" exercises lately. These photos below were from our work on studies of folds in fabrics (red velvet, in this case) and they range from mixing the pigments up to a couple of finished versions by my classmates.

This is my favorite red: toluidine red. It doesn't play well with water (above) but once it starts to get along, it begins to manifest a golden sheen -- like alchemical magic (below).

Cochineal -- first a pale pink but, after Hester added water, it became a fiery red!

The folds in the velvet cloth from my angle

Anita's work

Brieke at work

My work (yes, it did look like a pile of brains at that point!)

Final finished products by Hester and Annemie

Turner Prize 2009

Went to an artist using some of the old materials and techniques we are using: size (glue) and gold leaf. Check out more info here in Dutch or English.