Made a GIF of the progress I've made on the painting of my grandparents:

Afraid I couldnt get best quality cause my old computer crashes every time I try to do something fancy.
Here is the latest photo:

Cinderella

For whatever reason, I was inspired to do a picture of Cinderella. I saw in my head an action scene of Cindy running away from the prince as the clock strikes midnight. I dont know why. Just felt like doing an illustrative type thing. Probably left over from my childhood.

So I searched the internet and found some nice reference photos on deviant art and used my DAZ 3d modeler to get the poses:

from deviant art

created with daz 3d

I had a very specific picture in my mind. After much screwing around with perspective and architecture this is the drawing I came up with:

This is actually a photoshopped version I used to transfer the drawing to a clayboard panel. I had a failed attempt on illustration board that I got a couple of days into before I realized that it was just too flimsy for all the layers of painting and erasing and the biggest pain of all, cutting frisket.

first step sepia ink

The hardest part for me with doing architectural things is making straight lines. I went through hell on the bird lady painting trying to get the gate bars straight. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try a new way. I used pens to make the edges with a ruler hoping that the ink might show through.

second step gouache painting with frisket for straight lines

The gouache, it turns out, is pretty opaque so I couldnt really use the lines for the buliding parts. I tried using frisket to create the marble tiles. The lo tac stuff doesnt stick to the gouache at all. I wanted to try the extra tac but I think I may have gotten the wrong thing by mistake. Anyway, it worked out ok in the end but I will need to practice with it. 

third step background details

I used alternating layers of gouache (with just a touch of the egg emulsion in it) and oil paint. I will have to go back in after this first layer of oil paint dries and do more detail with the gouache and back and forth until it looks right.

Im not sure what this technique would be called. Its not exactly "mische technique" because I am using colored gouache instead of plain white egg tempera. I hate to call it "mixed media" because that has different implications. 

That's where I am now.

Latest Experiment: Old Lady with a Cat

In my quest to learn more about egg tempera, I ended up doing this hybrid of egg tempera and gouache:

Old and Cat 8 x 10
egg tempera and gouache on illustration board

In my research I found some basic things about egg tempera:

1. Egg yolk is used as the binder so you have to separate the white from the yolk and then carefully puncture the membrane so the liquidy part of the yolk will come out.

2. Really, you are supposed to use dry pigment powder. Then its just a matter of mixing the pigment with the egg yolk to a smooth consistency. You just use water as a thinner. Paint it on in numerous thin, transparent layers.

Since I didnt have any dry pigment and didn't want to invest any more money at this point, I had plenty of gouache tubes on hand and discovered that really the only difference is the gum arabic binder that they use.

I mixed the egg yolk with the tube gouache. My assumption was later verified by a artist who uses egg tempera and on his website he suggested this as a way to test it out.

In progress

details of the painting including an actual  hair on the last one

What I have learned:

I have always liked the results using gouache but have been very frustrated in the actual painting process because of its tendency to lift off when layers are added. This is because it is water soluble and just melts when it is re-wetted with fresh paint. The best solution I have found is  Acryligouache which is a gouache with some acrylic added to it so it doesnt melt quite so easily. I think I like this even better, though. I can use regular (cheaper) gouache and just add egg yolk. When the layer is completely dry the egg forms a sturdier layer which holds up better to new layers. I also used egg yolk as a sort of gloss varnish over the whole thing.

I'm sure its not exactly the same as real egg tempera.  I used plain gouache for the final details because it was more opaque so I know it behaves differently than real tempera. I like it though so I guess its time to buy some dry pigment.

Nan and Grampa

This will be a journal of my new project using the mische technique. This is the process I used on "See my gerbil" ( check 2 experiments if you want to see details on that technique) It is based on a picture of my Grandmother and Grandfather. I say based cause I doubt it will turn out looking much like them.
Here is the photo:

As you can see it is in pretty bad shape. This is after I fixed it up on photoshop. Its quite faded and beaten up but this is how I remember them best. Circa 1971 or so, when my cousin and I would sleepover and play dress up with my grandmother's nightgowns and jewelry.

So here is how I started:

ink on gessoed panel

Then, as the process goes, I covered it with a layer of red oil paint:

red oil paint

I let it dry for about a week and then began to paint in the light areas with the egg tempra (made with the egg oil emulsion):

red covered with white egg tempera

I can see that both faces will have to be readjusted (the faces are the hardest part for me) but there's going to be so many layers on here I will have plenty of time to change it.

And the final result: