Steam-punk'd Palette Knife Portrait

Steam Punk'd
Palette Knife Portrait
By Johanna Spinks
16"x12"
NFS

My fascination with the palette knife continues...this was my 'fun'treat  to end my studio day after four hours or so spent working on a tighter studio commission in the morning.

 I started this palette knife portrait from a real steam punk sitter a few weeks ago in my teaching class at CAI...I paint much slower with a palette knife than brush which is both good and bad. Bad 'cause I would rather be faster with the knife, good because I need to slow down with the brush. I can go super fast there it seems.

I don't fight the knife...I just let it goes where it wants.

Watch out for my new Tumblr coming soon on just palette knife painting.

My Memorial Day Hero...Lance Corp. Nicholas H. Anderson

I honor today on Memorial Day in America fallen Marine Lance Corporal Nicholas H. Anderson who gave his life for us at the tender age of 19.

I painted him two years ago for Sherry Moore's remarkable Fallen Heroes portrait series featured on U.S. TV tonight.

View here:

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2413133728001

Thank you to ALL our heroes.

Fallen Marine, Lance Corporal Nicholas H. Henderson, 19.

Palette Knife Portrait Painting Tips

Palette Knife Portrait of the lovely artist/muse/musician, Mather Louth
16"x12'
oil
Johanna Spinks
NFS

I love painting with a palette knife. This was my demo yesterday at The California Art Institute. Join me there Wednesday mornings. If you can't, here are my top tips for palette knife painting.

1. It gets really messy. Plenty of paper towels, gloves and an apron.

2. A good selection of knives for different effects. A rounded tip is better for doing a head than a sharp one.

3. Pre-mix a bunch of neutrals ahead of time so you can work faster. Think mid-value pools of color.

4. Let it stand for 24 hours so the paint gets a bit tacky and you can push and pull it a bit more.

5. Put ALL your brushes in a padlocked cupboard. That way you won't be tempted to pick them up. Palette knife portraits are much slower going than brush. You don't have as much control which is the point but it can get a little frustrating when that eye is taking forever. The moment you pick up the brush, it ruins things. I use the brush only for my drawing block-in so I can get a feel for where I am going. Then I put it away.

6. Use the knife as if you were a sculptor going up and down the forms.

7. Relax and let the happy accidents happen

8. Paint from a GREAT model http://www.matherlouth.com

9. Study the work of Nicholai Fechin

10. Post so I know you were interested and will post more.

closeup

Building up the forms

The demo starts after a block-in with brush. This is the only part where I use a brush

The Face of Malibu By Johanna Spinks

The Face of Malibu By Johanna Spinks, Dr Bill Swarout, featured in this week's Malibu Times
NFS

I remain honored that The Malibu Times is featuring my Face of Malibu portrait series. This series is hot on the heels of my Face of Ventura project, now in the permanent collection of the Museum of Ventura County.

Here is the latest sitter Dr. Bill Swartout, painted from life in a single sitting. He has an interesting story. Read by clicking here

Turned out to be quite a colorful sketch. A camera crew was behind me. That may explain why.

I seem to be in a very colorful mode right now.

Phew For Fuschia

Demo is done...two hours...fun with color.

Phew for great colors like fuchsia, although I always have to check out to spell it. Bold color gets my creative juices going, balancing all that hot color with some warms and cools. Old Holland magenta is the ONLY brand that will do for FUSCHIA.

My Demo underway at The California Art Institute. Let me know if you would like me to post the finish.

Art Assistants...

ARRIVING AT MY ONLINE STORE TODAY...

Lemonade
High Days and Holidays Collection By Johanna Spinks
16"x12"
Oil on panel
$600
Incl. framing and shipping

Purchase here:
clickhere





TOO PAWSESSIVE?

My studio assistant Bentley Azure is now even copying how I dress. Something must be done, don't you think?

Buttercup yellow...how to paint color

Buttercup
12x16
Oil on panel
$395 incl. shipping
Purchase at my online store
here

If you see the You Tube videos below, you will know that I love pushing color. I love artists, past and present, who do the same.

This was a quick color study last night I did over at Jeremy Lipking's studio. He is a wonderful tonalist  painter who also gets some great color in there.

I didn't feel like blending last night.  I felt like slapping that buttercup yellow jacket on the canvas,  three different temperatures of yellow. Warm, cool and neutral with a complimentary purple washed in for my base.

Off to CAI now for my teaching class. Join me there Wednesday mornings.

TGIF Painting Tip

Well, here it is...my TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) freebie painting tip, posted late in the day due to wildfire craziness in this part of the world

Let me know what you think and if you would like more.

Have a great-ful weekend.
Johanna

Demo, 24x30
Available for purchase
email johanna@johannaspinks.com