The Masters Shed New Light
I have been trying to get some flesh tones right for some time now. Part of my challenge is managing the dye process. Colors do tend to shift somewhat on silk. The other part of the challenge is my vision of the creation in the first place. Here’s what I’m working on now. A motorcyclist in the sunlight with strong shadows on his face. Since I am drawn to strong bold colors, I tend to want to render the planes of the individuals face with those same strong colors that I see. What I wind up with is a cartoon-like over dramatization. I am not happy with it.
MPP: Bill, initial working sketch
When I compared my sketch to a wonderful work by Alex Katz, I saw where my problems were. Look at how little change there is in the value between the highlights and shadows in Katzs’ work. I have been trying to force a heavy hand where I need a light touch. Here’s my new guide:
MPP: Bill, revised working sketch
