Study: finishing The Call

The 36″ x 48″ oil titled The Call is finished. This is the seventh and final post in the series about making this painting. Here are the links to the other posts:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

'The Call' finished version

‘The Call’ finished version

I started the painting in May 2013 and finished it yesterday on the summer solstice. As regular readers know, I work on A LOT of paintings simultaneously. This is a habit I developed from the outset of my career.  According to my studio journal, it took 24 sessions to finish The Call.

The method I followed is the one I normally use: pencil drawing on a neutral ground; fix finished drawing (make impervious to thinners) with ink; cover the entire surface with local color; additional under-painting to strengthen the drawing; finishing layers–as many as necessary. The most import step is the drawing.

For those interested, the medium is: copal varnish, black oil, cold-pressed linseed oil, turpentine, and courtrai drier. The amount of each ingredient varied depending of the stage–more varnish early, less later.

In 6 months, when it is thoroughly dry, I will give it a final varnish.

 

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