Scrambled

» Posted by Lesley Spanos on Aug 12, 2010 in Acrylics, Carnival, Multimedia Artboard, People, Portfolio, State Fair, Step-by-step | 0 comments

"Scrambled" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Multimedia Artboard, 5 x 7". Copyright ©2010 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

Still working on my State Fair series, and loving it! My latest painting in the series is taken from a photo I took last summer of people riding the Scrambler after dark. I love how the guy on the left looks like he’s going to hurl at any moment. I used to feel the same way when I rode those things. That’s why I don’t do it anymore.

Here are some images taken along the way:

I started with a loose marker sketch over a toned background. At this point I thought the guy on the left looked like a caveman in a Geico commercial.

Adding paint as sparingly as possible. My goal was to use the toned ground for the lighter shadows and just hit the middle tones and highlights with paint.

I can’t believe how little paint I put on the left side of the ride car, yet it looks really good. That’s my favorite part of the painting.

Painting the girl’s face made me a little nervous, because I have never done well with teeth and open mouths. Or faces, for that matter. So I pulled from my mind a vision of a work I spent some time memorizing in the Met a few years ago – Degas’ Singer In Green. I just kept telling myself to channel Degas as I layered with dry-brushed acrylic. It actually sort of worked, in the sense that it’s easier to imitate someone when you’re feeling unsure.

Next came the guy on the right. His head was at a tough angle to draw, plus I had to do more teeth. Looks a bit like chef Mario Batali, doesn’t he?

The final stage was about texture and lighting. I wanted to suggest hair on the arms and legs of the guys, so I used a few directional strokes and was pleased with the results.

The darkest darks and lightest lights were added last. And voila, we’re done!