day four, and the mystical rite
As a painting progresses, there is a mystical rite that I perform over the painting. These things are usually only whispered over a bubbling cauldron, in a dark castle in a black forest in northern Italy, amongst those initiated by blood oath. I will now permit the reader to partake of this knowledge.
Sometimes, on the fourth or fifth day of a painting, I work on the painting, with the model, until the sun sets. I continue to paint until the sun dips, the gloaming passes, and the night falls. Artistic shamanism aside, the reason is very simple- it allows me to see the whole picture, and not be distracted with any superfluous details. And so, color and line are subordinated, and I am only left with the vague masses of light and dark on the canvas. It is during this time that I typically make fundamental changes to my work, as I am best able to see the whole picture. However, on this day, day four, I did not make fundamental changes in the fading light. I only softened the light flowing over the form of the figure, in a delicate sfumato. I'm happy with the overall balance of light and dark on the canvas.
