two or three times a month I attend a figure drawing session. Most of the time I draw with charcoal, but last session I worked in oil on gessoed art board. The panel is toned with raw umber to put it at mid value. Before I start painting I mix a range of values from dark to light in about five or six steps with the raw umber and titanium white. First step is to block in the basic figure then work up the darks. From there it's a matter or building the form in value using the pre-mixed range. 
Sadly the world has lost a master of art this month, Andrew Wyeth. There is a sense of mystery and solitude in his work, which reminds me of the pacific NW in winter. Muted colors, dark, gnarled, and brooding nature. There is a book out titled, Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life by Richard Meryman, if you get a chance pick it up and read it. Such an interesting man.
These two paintings are completed. The final two layers are usually very satisfying. Such a treat to see the paintings come together at the end. The frosting on the cake is getting to start a new painting!
This particular series is a good example of finding the basic forms in planes of value and color. The pear on the left has been divided up to show the light as it wraps around the pear. Once the basic shapes are defined it's a process of finding the more subtle transitions then blending to soften them. I'll post the finished painting as soon as it's finished.
The last image shows the text but also show the difference in the studio light when it's a sunny day, the incandescent bulbs definitely put out a yellow light and the natural light is much cooler.
I wanted to post images of the first few steps in my painting process. My landscapes begin with a visit to some destination where I spend quite a bit of time if not sketching, at least observing and photographing the scene. Once I chose a an image for painting I do some compositional sketches in my notebook. Next comes a charcoal drawing on the canvas. Charcoal is particularly useful because it can easily be wiped off and reapplied as needed . Once a basic drawing is down the umber layer comes next. I like using raw umber for this monochromatic stage. It's a great neutral and dries quickly. When this layer is dry I can begin to build up color. I'll post images of this as they are ready.
The first thing I recommend for beginning art students is to take the time to identify your personal aesthetic. What your interests are and what your goal is as an artist. For example, when I became serious about being a painter I needed to decide what I would focus on for subject matter and style. So I began an inspiration book, or scrap book. Clipping and pasting images from magazines and downloaded stuff from the web, with the idea that I would go off of instinct and not think too hard about what it was I chose, allowing my initial reaction of attraction to be the only criteria. The purpose of the book was to allow me to see trends in palette, subject matter, style, values, etc. This worked very well. After filling about 1/3 of the first book it became obvious that I am very attracted to strong value patterns and classic subject matter. Having a sense of direction in the beginning will save you time and materials.
