Step 13: Halftones in Hair |
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The Halftones
(Steps 9 through 13)
• Now we come to the most important portion of the painting.
The halftones and the lights occupy all of the light-struck
planes of the head. Each area of tone must be judged for value
(how dark or how light is it?), for hue (what color is it?),
and for intensity (how saturated with color is it?), and then
placed correctly on the painting (this is drawing).
• The halftones should be regarded as a "mosaic"
of tones — that is, a collection of separate "pieces"
of tone, each requring its own decisions. Try not to consciously
blend the tones at this point. The painting will be stronger
and more "architectural" if the "chips of the
mosaic" are allowed to stand independently. Naturally,
since the paint is wet, some flowing between tones will occur. |
Hover to zoom final painting |
| Paint all the light struck planes of the hair.
Try to see the soft forms of the hair as architectural masses,
with a light area, a middle halftone area, and a dark area —
precisely as if the soft forms had been carved from a block
of wood. Give the painting of the hair a solid strength, not
just a fluffy, indefinite mass. This area of course includes
the highlights on the cheekbones and on the nose — very
significant items in the painting. The "catchlight"
on the tip of the nose (to come in Step25) may be the most important
single brushstroke in the painting. The lights should be mixed
of very clean color with rich, thick paint. These light areas
should be impasto — very opaque and full-bodied, a final
top layer on the paint. |
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