Morning Visitor Alla Prima

Hi guys, sorry it's been a while since I've posted here. My regular postings lately have been on my 'On the Easel..' page and with time constraints, I haven't likewise been updating this and my other blogs with all my work.. The first half of this year had me preoccupied with other life matters, however things have been settled now and my full concentration can now be fully focused on my art and blogs too!

Now this picture has been one I've been wanting to paint for ages. Taken a few years back of my mum one early morning as she still lay in bed with her regular morning visitor (our cat at the time) Crookshanks, the natural light flooding the dimly lite interior so beautifully along with the subject matter made for a lovely subject for a painting. 

'Morning Visitor' Alla Prima
W&N Oil on Canvasboard
7.4 x 5.1 Inches
See more or Purchase

I wanted to keep the palette minimal and the contrasts strong and made a few adjustment to strengthen the composition (lowered the bed headboard and added the picture on the wall)

I've been experimenting with using black in my work lately and decided to try swapping out ultramarine with an old payne's grey I never use. The ground was toned with a mix of paynes grey, yellow ocher and raw umber (leaving the window area white to heighten the contrast and give one more of a feeling of being in an interior space).

Toned ground, leaving the window area white, for a strong outer light with dark interior effect.

The underpainting was then roughly painted in and the deepest darks blocked in with varying mixes and amounts of paynes grey, yellow ocher, phthalo green and alizarin crimson.

Underpainting & blocked in darks

Then to establish the lightest lights (besides the window) the highlights were painted in with Flake White Hue (touch of yellow ocher, and sometimes cobalt blue).

I knew I would want to leave untouched areas, showing the toned ground and underpainting beneath so I started painting in the points of interest and areas I knew for sure that I would like to be more fully developed like the cat and my mum. Then I slowly developed other parts of the painting, making sure I stopped as soon as it had enough information painted in to keep and enhance the composition.. I wanted to maintain the sketchy feel of the piece and special attention was made to not overwork it.

Here's the complete colour palette used:

​Flake White Hue

Paynes Grey

Yellow Ocher

Alizarin Crimson

Cad Red

Light Red

Phthalo Green

Raw Umber

'Morning Visitor' complete on the easel

No Liquin was used in this piece as I find I need more time to work wet on wet when painting alla prima.

This piece is available at 'Morning Visitor'!

Thanks for dropping by guys!