Help from an artist

[Colleen Thomas]

I am finally working on a new story In it I want one of the characters to do an oil painting of the other. I have looke dand looked online, but I cannot find anything that tells me approximately how long a modle has to pose for an oil painting and how long it takes someone to paint one?

If anyone has some answers they would be greatly appreciated.

-Colly

 

[Madame Manga]

There's no hard and fast rule. It depends on many factors: the experience of the artist, the time available, and the artist's style. If I were to start with a preliminary black and white sketch to work out the pose and exact lighting, I might require many sittings for that alone. Then I'd prepare my canvas, transfer the sketch to the surface (there are many ways of accomplishing that, from squaring up to projection), pose the model again and get into the paint box. I might start with a grisaille (values alone, using turp, a dark color and some white) or I might lay in color right away. I might spend days on a meticulous, photo-realistic work, or I might lay in fat slabs of paint with a big knife and finish in one session. I know plenty of practiced artists who do complete portraits (head and shoulders) in three-hour open studio classes.

If you want a fast-working artist, it's likely that he or she would work in acrylics rather than oils. Oils take patience and good technique--usually you need to work on several paintings at once, so you can let one piece dry for days before the top layers go on and still have something to do. Acrylics are much less technically demanding.

I hope that helps!

MM

 

[dee1124]

I'm not an artist and I've never posed for one, so I can't say from experience. I did do a quick Yahoo search on "artist's model" and found quite a number of links. On one of the pages, the artist had this to say:

Let me preface by pointing out that physique is not the main issue for an artist's model. Artists study the figure - all kinds of figures and in all age groups. (However, nude models are usually age 18 and above.) Some artists who have developed their own style and look, however, may be interested in some shapes/ages and not others. Do not take that personally. What IS important is that the model can hold a pose for a significant period of time. For painting and drawing that may be as long as 30 minutes. (I usually allow models for sculpture to pose for 5-10 minutes at a time. However, I sometimes want more animated poses, so it is a trade off.)

If you want to be a model, then practice holding still. That's not as much of an issue for photographers, but it is imperative for artists who draw and paint. And look for and try interesting poses. Some of the best models I know or have heard about study yoga. Models generally create the poses and sometimes are given suggestions by the artists. A typical drawing session usually starts out with about 10 one-minute poses. One-minute poses are considered warm-ups or short poses - often referred to as "gestures". This is the time to do the more difficult and interesting poses. Other pose lengths are 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and longer poses - up to 30 minutes. A good model spends time coming up with interesting, dynamic poses and takes pride in being creative in this area, which affects how often he is hired. A timer is used for longer poses, but the model usually counts in his head for the gestures and moves into the next pose automatically as the artists keep sketching and changing paper as needed.

Dee

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Eeep. That really puts a damper on my idea

Thanks for the info

-Colly

 

[dee1124]

Eeep. That really puts a damper on my idea

Thanks for the info

-Colly

Gee, I hope not! Any new Colleen Thomas story is greatly to be wished for. If it's set in modern times, you could always have the artist work from photos. That's a pretty tried-and-true technique, I believe. Or have her do sketches first.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I am working on Football widow four. Christa is an artist, Sue wants to pose. I had hoped that a painting could be done, or at least done enough so the artist could fill in the rest over time, in one sitting. Due to the nature of their relationship and the story I don't have time to drag it out over days unfotuneatly.

-Colly

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I've heard that portraits are often done from photgraphs these days. Once the figure is more or less roughed in, the artist may call for a sitting or two to try and capture the "life" of the subject.

---dr.M.

 

[Couture]

Pastel artists can be much quicker as they don't have to wait for the paint to dry. Even among oil painters time is relative. Before she passed away, Helen Van Wyk could do a painting in a sitting when she conducted workshops.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

If the artist were working in oils could she paint just the model in a single sitting and then do the background and rest of the work from photgraphs?

-Colly

 

[Guest]

Colly, I have an artist friend (she's terrific, makes a basic living from it). I commissioned her once to paint a portrait of my niece as a present for her mom. I gave her a favorite photograph with a lovely background that I wanted for the painting (she's great at landscapes too). She knew my niece and visited a couple times to fix her in her mind 'live'. I have no idea how long the painting took but it was a very fine 'picture' of my niece and the setting from the photo.

So yes, your character can work from a photo combined with how she knows the sitter in life. It's fiction, make her a fast worker.

Perdita

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Colly, I have an artist friend (she's terrific, makes a basic living from it). I commissioned her once to paint a portrait of my niece as a present for her mom. I gave her a favorite photograph with a lovely background that I wanted for the painting (she's great at landscapes too). She knew my niece and visited a couple times to fix her in her mind 'live'. I have no idea how long the painting took but it was a very fine 'picture' of my niece and the setting from the photo.

So yes, your character can work from a photo combined with how she knows the sitter in life. It's fiction, make her a fast worker.

Perdita

I know it's fiction Dita luv, but I strive for accuracy in my fiction. If it can't be done then I will just have to change the story to fit with what really can be done or scrap the scene all together. I would rather loose the scene and keep the realism of the piece than fudge reality to keep the scene.

*HUGS*

-Colly

 

[Guest]

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Thanks rhino

The scene I had in mind is with the model on a bed in restraints so I wasn't too worried about her ability to hold still

I did need to know my artist could complete the work in a reasonable amount of time. I don't think it should be a problem to have her take a poloroid of the scene to use when felishing out the painting, but since it is being done in her bedroom I am not even sure that would be neccessary.

-Colly

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

Rhinhombre, love this AV, and the quick drawing.

Perdita

 

[wildsweetone]

sticking with oils (as opposed to pastels/acrylics etc)....

so, if i was an impatient person who lived on my nerves, i might paint that picture of yours rhino, perhaps in 2 hours flat out and by laying the paint on the canvas very thick?

or, conversely, if i were a very concise, studious perfectionist, then after an initial 5 minute sketch, i might well take a year to paint it.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I think Madame Manga got it right. It depends a lot on the artist and since it is your story, you can have her do anything. It's certainly feasable.

The way I usually oil paint is a morose and detailed task, that demands some patience, tenderness and several days of work. If the model is going to be in restrains chances are patience and tenderness aren't really your top priorities, though. Usually I'd go with acrylics instead of oils for something like that, but it can be done and, in my opinion, both the final result and the process of painting with oils are much more sensual. And much more satisfactory from any perspective.

As for using photographs to finish it, I would advise against it. Either you're going for something passionate and fast, done in one sitting, or for something photorealistic, delicate, calm. You can't have both.

Well, you can, but not at the same time.

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Blah. You're right, of course. I've done both too. I still don't think it's the right thing to do though. Certainly not the right thing to write about.

 

[Guest]

 

[Guest]

 

[wildsweetone]

quote:
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Originally posted by wildsweetone
sticking with oils (as opposed to pastels/acrylics etc)....

so, if i was an impatient person who lived on my nerves, i might paint that picture of yours rhino, perhaps in 2 hours flat out and by laying the paint on the canvas very thick?

or, conversely, if i were a very concise, studious perfectionist, then after an initial 5 minute sketch, i might well take a year to paint it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

um..not quite sure what you mean.
I cannot answer what someone else can or cannot do.
I do know that it is possible for quick passionate paintings to be done in any medium.

aside
(if it is photorealism one is after..then stick to photos...otherwise it will take more than a few minutes.....and is hardly worth the effort save to have someone say: "wow! it looks just like a photo")...see? everyone has one.

opinions are like assholes...everyone has one.

rhino-and some of us ARE one, eh?

It's refreshing to re-learn that even artists cannot be stereotyped.

 

[Madame Manga]

Here's a link you might want to glance at: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums

Check out the critique forums and the oil painting forum. There are plenty of finished works posted, and often the artist will talk about the technique and the time/number of sessions it took. Many of the people on that site do quick paintings to sell on Ebay.

My two cents about the specific project: It's entirely plausible that a practiced figure artist could knock out a good oil painting from a model in two or three hours. It wouldn't be a wall-size one, and the background wouldn't be finished, but nudes don't really need anything in the way of background. If I was setting out to accomplish something like that, I'd probably pick a canvas no larger than 12x18 and limit my palette to white plus a few warm and cool colors for flesh tones. A quick charcoal sketch and plenty of dash in the brushwork and you're home free.

MM

 

[minsue]

I have absolutely nothing to add in the realm of art as I am one of those with a million pictures in my head who has never been able to visually express any of them. I'm just here to do a little happy dance at the thought of the next Football Widow installment.

Happy! Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy! Joy!



- Mindy