American Artist Magazine Article
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DISCUSSION -- Based on quotes from
Linda Price
The next step is basically a replay of the
last, but using different
colors. Alzofon compares the process to layering gauze. As she applies additional
layers, the colors become more opaque, and there is a greater saturation
of tints that
gives the hues a more luminous appearance. This technique also produces
a subtle
interplay of colors filtering up from layers below--a look, the artist says,
that could
never be created with one swipe of color.
I decided to show you
the most obvious use of the above mentioned method. This young lady wore
a blouse which was made in two layers of fabric: solid yellow and sheer
black. I painted the lower yellow layer first. When that was dry, I painted
the shear black layer, and while still wet, I scratched back to reveal the
yellow and shape the folds (hog bristle brushes scratch nicely). When the
black layer dried, I applied a scumble of a blue-white tint to represent
the lit side of the folds in the shear black fabric. This method is used
all over this painting, as well as many others, but because the colors in most passages are often similar, I doubt
you would see the distinct layers in a computer image. However, check this
detail from the Child's Portrait, and see if you can identify the separate
gauzy layers from bottom to top in the rendering of skin.
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Rebecca Alzofon can be e-mailed at rebecca@art.net
This page created: November 16, 2001
2001 by Rebecca Alzofon. All rights
reserved