by Lisa Larrabee
What is more tedious than painting baby blankets and caps with tiny pinstripes? Painting the negative space around the pinstripes! Once I had the idea, I just had to try it. It presented a big risk, though. If it came out too stylized and distracted from my babies, I would have to paint over it regardless of how long it took to create.
As the fabric came together piece by piece, it became clear that I needed to lighten the values. The second layer involved brightening each section as needed. Shown here, the caps and bottom right corner have yet to be adjusted.
Due to the tedious process of painting the negative spaces, there was little room for error along the edges where skin met fabric. This, and the tiny size, required that I lay in my underpainting for the figures with much more detail than I have in previous portraits.
This painting stage shows the completed underpainting for the portraits. Colors are close approximations and the values are a little on the dark side to allow for the highlights to be built up.
I tried several techniques on this painting that were new to me. First, the detailed negative space painting. I think I found a nice blend of stylized realism that compliments the portraits. Second, I referred regularly to the photo reference on my computer monitor (instead of a print) to enlarge details and see more luminous color. Finally, I experimented with glazes in order to capture the fragile translucence of newborn skin. I created this painting for me, and I set very high expectations. I pushed myself further, and I must say, I absolutely love it! I hope you do too.
~ Lisa
