By the Fountain: Step 3
Painting the concrete went really fast, much faster than I thought it would. I have painted a fair amount of concrete, and am pretty confident in the basic process, but there were a few added twists this time. The most notable: the wet areas that have been splashed on by the fountain and the slight reflections of the feet in those areas. It turned out to be as straight forward as possible. I began blocking in the base colors, moving from back to front in the picture frame. As is my usual practice, I was intending to put down one coat, let it dry, and then cover it with a second layer of paint to add the details. As I worked, however, I noticed that I was able to get a relatively finished look in one pass by using thicker paint and modulating the color slightly as I went along. By the time I reached the foreground concrete, the new technique was basically perfected, and much to my surprise, it worked extraordinarily well for the wet-cement effects, including the reflections. I finished so quickly, in fact, that I decided to begin experimenting with the fountain itself, flowing water being another effect I have almost no experience painting.
Incidentally, you have probably noticed that I am employing my more standard practice of painting the background first with this piece. This is mostly due to the fact that there is so much more detail in the background and so much uncharted territory to be covered than in the last figure painting. Any wiping off of paint and re-working that may be necessary will be much easier if I am not concerned about messing up a painted figure, and I think that in the end this will speed up the whole painting.
Tags: Bryan Larsen, By the Fountain
