Pumpkin Painting

Photo realistic Pumpkin Inspiration: Contemporary Realism, and Photo realism from the 70's, Chuck Close The process: I start by sketching on paper in Chinese ink or charcoal - drawing from life. I construct my composition with basic geometric shapes, attempting to create a balance between positive and negative space. Once satisfied with my preliminary sketches I move to photography. I take many digital photos for reference and often paint from more than one at a time. Once my photographic session is complete I move to the canvas. I rely on realistic rendering of tone, colour and texture to convey the illusion of three dimensional forms and weight. Notes on this painting: I chose to paint this almost three times larger than life size, using thick textured brush and palette knife work to emulate the 'skin' of the Pumpkin. Materials: I use genuine gum turpentine and artist quality oil paint; Miameri Puro, Sennelier, Windsor & Newton and sometimes grind my own pure pigments with refined linseed oil(alkali refined). For a general purpose medium I use "Maroger" venetian wax medium. Shipping: This Painting is quite large, so I'd feel safer rolling it into a tube with protective packaging to prevent any damage to the surface during shipping. It can easily be restretched on a frame or glued down on a Masonite panel with acid-free glue size. It is completely dry and the paint is strong and flexible. Hanging and storage: Please keep this painting out of direct harsh sunlight for prolonged periods and do not store in a damp, dark place. Indoor / open-shade light or artificial lighting is fine.