My Art in the Making #2 Tang Lady

The still life setup I am presenting for the demonstration of my technique consists of the main Tang Lady figurine and other oriental bowls, vases and bottles I collected during my many trips to China in the last decade. Every piece in the painting has a wonderful, fun story behind it. The trips there were so fascinating, and I got to see firsthand the real China, not the tourist China, while training young designers and artists. I have always had an appreciation for the art of China because of my art history study at Cornell University where the art history department is known for its scholarly courses in Chinese art. The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell has a permanent collection consisting largely of Chinese art and artifacts. My early introduction to this fascinating culture comes full circle in this painting called Tang Lady.

STAGE 1 THE BLOCK-IN

The block-in is essentially the most important part of a painting. Here

I spend the most time in the process after spending time selecting and setting up the actual still life. In this case, the setting up of the still life took several hours. I had been living with these artifacts for a while and had a vision in my mind of how I wanted to paint these special objects of art and how to use the light and shadow as part of the composition elements. I usually begin with a prepared dry toned canvas of a thinned mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. It is easier to create correct values in real life when the whiteness of primed canvas is eliminated. It is also easier on the eyes. The block-in consists of a carefully painted drawing plus massing in of darks of the same mixture. I thoughtfully draw in the framework and composition. The first session is completely dedicated to making sure everything is correctly placed, properly drawn and in a pleasing composition with correct perspective. The concept was to have the main Tang Lady figurine nestled among the other oriental pieces, while creating and interesting pattern of circles, ellipses, diagonals and triangles that will lead the viewer throughout the painting. Although the composition is complex with many elements, the color harmony of jades and earth tones will unite and simplify once the painting part begins.

STAGE 2 LAYING THE FOUNDATION

The second session begins with work on the background. With a broad bristle brush used for backgrounds and a large filbert, a neutral backdrop is built up and cast shadows from the figurine and other pieces are built up. The cast shadows are just as important as elements in the composition as the objects themselves. It is always best to work from back to front in any painting. I leave some of the canvas with an unfinished quality to emote a sense of decay and the timeless theme of ancient art from an ancient culture. Once the backdrop has been established, I begin to paint individual objects and their foundations. Each color is mixed on my palette as

I go, mixing what I need for each sequence. In addition, I will note the lightest light for future reference while establishing the correct values and color for other areas. In this case the lightest light is the reflection in the round upright jade bowl. Other lights are noted on each object. Remember that the intent is to “paint to finish,” so each brushstroke is meant to stay and not be reworked, so the value, color and edges are there to stay and need to be as accurate as possible. In addition, each brushstroke is placed to capture the sense of the porcelain and surface of the objects. The harmony of the vertigris, jades, turquoise and earth tones is already uniting the complex structure to read as a more simplified one.

STAGE 3 CONTINUING THE FOUNDATION

In this session, much of what began in the second session continues, working throughout the painting in each area to get paint on the canvas, to create the sense of the surface on each object, to unite the overall composition in color harmony for a pleasing tranquil and quiet statement.

STAGE 4 THE FIGURINE

The painting is emerging after observing each area. In stage four, the figurine is worked on by building up the paint to recapture the sense of the shiny ceramic tri-color glaze finish used on these figurines from the Tang Dynasty. The foreground white cloth and eucalyptus branch are painted. Other areas are enhanced in the light areas with heavier opaque paint to make the light come forward. Details are enhanced in the foreground with some sharper edges which helps the viewer focus on the foreground before moving back into the painting. The reflective lunaria branch form the left is painted over the previously painted Qing Dynasty jade bowl. Note that the bowl was kept quite undefined with minimal detail so as not the compete with the leaves that will be placed in front of it in this session. Planning ahead and working in stages in a painting is important to how it will read in the end. Not everything needs to be painted with fine detail. Some areas need to be only suggested so that the viewer will be able to focus on where the painter intended for the eye to rest.

STAGE 5 FACE AND THE HEAD

The focus now is on the face and head of the Tang Lady figurine. The finish is in the details. The delicate features of the terracotta head area are hand painted unlike the ceramic glaze on the body of the figurine. Also, the light highlights the small nose and full cheek—signs of wealth and beauty in the Tang Dynasty. The large headdress casts a subtle shadow on the face. The Tang Lady and her Shih-tzu dog are finally completed. By now the various porcelain vases and bowls are dry, so transparent blue washes are applied to mimic the hand painted blue and white appearance of the art objects. Finishing touches and details are finalized on the wooden table surface.

STAGE 6 FINAL ELEMENTS

Tang Lady, oil on linen, 20 x 21" (51 x 53 cm) Finally the painting is completed after finishing the last branch of dried eucalyptus leaves coming from the front blue-andwhite vase. The larger leaves emanating from the base are large and catch the light, then graduate smaller ending in a silhouette of small leaves on the lighter background. The entire painting is set up so that the geometry creates movement for the eye to move throughout the painting. The basic composition is a strong vertical of the figurine juxtaposed over diagonals that lead the viewer into the painting space on a diagonal line and then behind the figurine on another diagonal line. The eucalyptus branches, white cloth and round jade bowl give interest to that journey and mimic the movement.