More Petals and Fringe

"Kimberly With Roses" in progress, egg tempera painting on panel (click image twice for a larger view)

Still adding more rose petals, and working on the gold fringe of her shawl, I'm also beginning to layer in a warmer tone over the background.

falling rose petals

"Kimberly With Roses", 19 1/2" x 15 1/4", egg tempera panel in progress (click the image twice for a larger view)

I'm so sorry that my work to promote portraits in general has kept me absent so long from this blog, but here's another update. As you can see, I'm starting to add falling rose petals and working on the areas around the petals as I add them to the painting.

Please feel welcomed also to visit Mona Conner Portraits, where I feature my commissions.

progress on Kimberly With Roses

"Kimberly With Roses" in progress

Here is what I'm working on; the current version is on top.

Update #9: Kimberly With Roses in Progress

Kimberly With Roses in progress, 19 1/2" x 15 1/4", egg tempera on panel

Another Update: Kimberly With Roses in Progress

19 1/2" x 15 1/4", detail of the egg tempera portrait in progress (click the image twice for a larger view)

Progress update on the first "Mary in Kimberly" panel painting

(click on the art in progress to view it larger; as previously explained, the red clay bole background will later be covered with gold leaf and bordered with the mother of pearl, a sample of which is included at the lower right)

At this time I am working on the veil, hands, and lower portions of the portrait. This post shows further work in egg tempera, on and around the hands.

A start on the veil

Now that the outline of it is clearer, I am working on the translucency of the veil. (click on the image to see it larger)

Further progress on the panel painting of Kimberly with roses

(egg tempera painting on panel in progress. Beginning to lay in the flesh tones here.)

Kimberly with roses - Step 3

Step #2 of New Egg Tempera Panel

If you missed my announcement, it's posted over on the right-hand side.

Step #1 of new egg tempera panel painting / Egg Tempera Workshop announcement

egg tempera panel painting in progress, detail of a 20" x 15 3/4" rectangular birch gesso panel (click image to see it larger)

This post represents three days of preparation for the start of a new egg tempera panel painting (transferring my drawing and laying in portions of my underpainting.) The drawing is a bit hard to capture in a digital photo because it is composed with the light blue lines of transfer paper (see the drawing in my previous post for details), but I will be showing this painting too in it's ongoing stages of progress as I continue to complete the first panel painting.

Some of you who have followed my blog will recall that it is quite normal for the first several layers of egg tempera on panel to be raw in appearance, but if anyone has questions in general about egg tempera painting, I want to let you know that I am planning to try an in-person egg tempera workshop this summer if at least 10 people would like to attend. Dates, cost, and details to come when I know how many are interested, but it will take place in Brooklyn, NY.

If you'd like to participate in my workshop, please email me at: mona@monadianeconner.com, and please let me know also if you have a preference for doing it in June or in August.

"The 'Mary' in Kimberly," panel painting progress

I'm overdue for a progress report on "The 'Mary' in Kimberly" egg tempera panel painting, (my computer keyboard wasn't working, but I'm back in action), so this update represents several painting sessions since I last posted on it. I began to under paint the veil and worked on various areas of the painting.

"Mary in Kimberly" Panel Update

My progress is somewhat gradual because I photograph this egg tempera painting after every 3-4 hours work, but over several sessions you can see what is happening. For this session I was working in the same (and a few additional) areas. I have further blending to do on the skin, particularly on the right side of the face, once the paint has set more.

Hoping to also post the start of my new pastel of Terry later tonight.

"Mary in Kimberly" panel update

This session I worked further on her hair, beginning to define it's rhythms, and on blocking in some shadow in areas on the skin near the hair.

"Mary in Kimberly" egg tempera panel update

In this session I worked on some subtle layering on the hair on top of her head, softening and shaping the eyebrows, and on giving the forehead more dimension.

A few more tips about working with egg tempera. If you try the suggestion in my video demo below about substituting gouache or watercolor, of the two, gouache is your best substitute option of the two, but I mentioned both if you don't have gouache on hand.

Choose a rigid support. The ideal surface for egg tempera is a rabbit-skin glue gessoed panel. (Acrylic gesso will not absorb as well or adhere the paint as well). Other surfaces I have used are Strathmore or Crescent rag illustration board (without gesso), something with a smooth tooth. I recommend this for beginners to try, but choose four-ply, not bristol, and avoid getting the board too wet to avoid warpage.

Apply the paint very thinly, and in layers. A common mistake most beginning egg tempera painters make is to apply the paint too thickly in one individual layer. Build your paint gradually and remember that the principle is translucency. You are building layers to create an illusion of a color, for example a layer of green, with a layer of vermillion on top would make a warm shadow on a face.

For any other questions that may arise I recommend this great online forum about egg tempera: Egg Tempera Forum

Website Expansion

"Nelson Mandela," 6" x 4 1/2", head study, egg tempera in progress on Strathmore board © Mona Diane Conner 2009

"Old Friend," 5 1/2" x 4 1/2", egg-oil emulsion over egg tempera on panel © Mona Diane Conner 2009

I'm posting an update on the pastel of Terry tomorrow in order to let you know first that behind the scenes over the past several weeks, website expansion has been my weekend project.  There are approximately 25 newly posted images, including several additional portraits, such as the two posted here, and a retrospective of my career as an illustrator in the "Illustrations" and "Nature, Animals and Flowers" categories.  Not even my family members have seen all of these images, so I hope it will be a source of enjoyment for friends, colleagues, and family as well as prospective clients, that the website is more rounded out now.

The topics I've been asked to paint as an illustrator in particular have been quite various, and if you've enjoyed my work as a portrait painter, you may also enjoy seeing this other side of my work when you have time to take another look at monadianeconner.com

Panel Progress, "The 'Mary' in Kimberly"

I'm working behind the scenes to enter two portraits in a competition, but here's a small progress report on my panel painting, working further here on the hands.

Panel Progress, "The 'Mary' in Kimberly"

Next Layer

The next step is to add the 'apple in the cheek,' which in classical painting terms means to add a thin red glaze over the green under-painting around the cheek bones and all areas where the bone comes close to the skin---tip of nose and fingertips, etc. I am using Vermillion in lighter areas and Cadmium Red in darker areas. It is intentionally overdone because it will soften considerably and smooth out as I continue to build up layers of flesh tones and place cool layers on top of warm layers. I have also begun to lay in the first layer of the hair around the face to help me perceive better whether the values on the face are approaching what I want.