MAKING A PICTURE FROM START TO FINISH #4

Here is the sketch the picture will be made from. It needs a little work; the distant hills on the left need building up, the tree anatomy needs adjusting for eye-comfort, specifically the addition of a limb added to the lefthand side, and ropes need to be added to the snare to make its functionality evident.

For once the lines of the harmonic composition template seem to me to rest in place like the ossicles of sea star: right where they should be. If that theory is correct I should be able to make this picture sing like a lyre if I can control the values properly. I'm looking forward to painting dark clouds behind the little spectator's head and seeing it pop beautifully. Today I will finish the sketch, blow it up to canvas size on the Kinko's blueprint copier and trace it on with charcoal powder. Then perhaps two days for the brownstone, a detailed underpainting in burnt umber.

Today I bought the base for an adjustable height work table and am going to build on it a large lightboxed standing/sitting drawing board. I'm also going to clear out the clutter from my attic studio and put my painting setup in there next to the drawing table. No more scampering from drawing board to light box to basement painting studio. All my life my studios have been clumsy and furnished with scavenged furniture. This one will be just what I want.

Your Uncle Jim