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The Materials of the Workshop “The oil Study of the Foot of a Life Model”
While studding figure painting you should especially focus on analyzing feet and hands.
It is reasonable to make sketches of the feet and the hands of a life model. Before doing this it is also worth to devote your attention to plaster ones.
It is preferable while depicting feet to avoid en face angle. To paint from three-quarter view is more convenient.
Obviously, it is preferable to draw a plaster foot from different angles before painting it in oil. That experience may give us clear conception of the shape of the foot. As a result, while painting, we will not only copy the chiaroscuro, but form the construction of the object.
Prime a primed cardboard additionally in a warm dark tone
Delineate the entire silhouette with a light colour.
Look at a distance in order to check the main proportions. If the solid picture looks alike, add the main masses of lights and shades. At the same time the outline should not become less clear or incorrect. On the contrary, painting big masses you simultaneously need to make the delineation more precise, sharp and expressive.
Alter big parts, add undertints. Alter the outline as well.
Do not work out the details yet, but look at the entire impression. Also check the resemblance at a distance.
Make more precise the transitions of the main undertints. Make the tone darker in the border between planes.
Delineate toes. Doing this we do not just add more detais, but we add more details to the areas in the foreground, which helps us to give the sense of three-dimensional space. Thereby we show the position of the foot.
Try to alter all the parts of your work simultaneously. To form three-dimensional space make the areas in the foreground more contrast and softer than those placed in the background. Periodically look at your work at a distance.
Do not forget that we may observe the work at a distance sharply or with defocused eyes.
Watching with defocused eyes helps us to estimate the work more correctly and make right decisions.
Add nuances and decide when you may consider the work as complete.
Oleg Toropygin