One of my major challenges for 2010 is completing a large (4' x 5') canvas of a young Atlas - a gift for my son. The first phase is setting down the pose (courtesy of my son's willingness to pose) in black and white acrylics. His face will be used for Atlas, but I have obtained many books from the library for reference including books on Rodin and Michelangelo for body and muscle references. I am a little concerned about the length of the front thigh, and will continue to ponder and tinker until I'm convinced I have it right. The Paint program on my computer is a great tool for carving up a painting and manipulating it - attached is an edit to see how the thigh looks in shorter length. I haven't worked the face or hand yet- I know those will be difficult and I want to make sure the figure is correct before putting much work into the detailed areas. It is surprising how few Atlas paintings exist. During my research I only found only a few paintings and sculptures of Atlas. It pleases me that I am working on a theme which hasn't been explored exhaustively. I look forward to adding the color in oil, but will hold off until I am sure I am pleased with the underpainting. I am not going to go into exhaustive detail with the underpainting - it's more of a placeholder for me.
Since working on the Burr Oak Tree canvas(4' x 4'), painting large has become something I really enjoy. It's nice to have the luxury of taking my time with this piece and intend to set it aside from time to time to work on other pieces. There is a pressing need to build some inventory for a solo exhibition in October and there are some land and seascapes I am anxious to do.
