A Work in Progress

Set up

Sketch using paint

Block in



Finished painting

Many people are amazed to see how a painting develops. Here is a technique that works for me and which I teach my students.
The first step is setting up a composition that is pleasing. This may involve a trial and error moment where you add  or subtract objects and rearrange them until you get what you want. I´ll make a small black and white sketch on a note pad (not seen here) to test out the composition, before I go to the canvas.
Once that's settled, I´ll sketch it in charcoal. If I still like it, then the charcoal is replaced with a thin paint sketch.
Blocking in the color is like putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
The best part is defining the shapes and making a flat surface look like it has three dimensions.
Oh, the challenge of painting! 

http://www.mdiggsart.com/

Angelic Souls



Tenderness

 Several years ago, my sister gave me a small terracotta statue, a replica of an 18th century French one. I found it to be so sweet that I made this drawing of it.

Have you ever heard the explanation for the the indention we have under our noses?

Babies live with the angels in heaven before coming to earth. Before they are born to their mothers, an angel seals the lips by pressing his finger there so the language of the angels will not be revealed.

May we mothers always recognize the angelic side of the souls entrusted to our care. Happy Mother´s Day!

http://www.mdiggsart.com/

Finding Models

The Moroccan

The Moroccan Sitting

I´d always thought that my doorman, Raul,
would make a perfect Moroccan, so when he agreed to pose for me, I grabbed my paints and went to work.

The portait study on the right prepared me to do the full-body painting. Its "unfinished" nature doesn´t detract from the strength of the face, and in fact, gives an interesting contrast.

An artist never knows where she´ll run into the perfect subject for her next work!

http://www.mdiggsart.com/
mdiggs@mdiggs.com