Wow an episode twelve on my blog. Well this painting is proceeding well. I've got one or two more days to go but have finished for the day now. There are a few things I would have done differently; the big one is that I made the underpainting too light in tone so that the glazing couldn't quite take it down enough and remain smooth and coherent. This was a problem mostly on the checkered floor where the shadows remain like subtle daylight ones, when it could all have been so dramatic like Joseph Wright. That said the underpainting was almost exactly like the study in tone so it proves that the two days spent on the colour study was worth it. Glazing the study might have identified the problem but the problem with that is I'd have no underpainting study to copy from, unless I glazed the study after painting the full underpainting and by then it would be too late! Next time I will assess not if the study "looks okay", but consider ways in which it could look better.
Now I've got a few spare hours. I could be creative and begin plans for a new painting or I could be uncreative and make the frame for this one. My feelings cry "Frame! Frame!" so I might do the opposite to keep me on my toes!
