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| Jay Raymond, Spring Glory, oil on canvas, 36 x 72 inches |
This large piece began as a small 2.5 x 5 inch drawing. Through an analog to digital to analog (let's call it the ada technique) approach, I employed the latest digital tools for development of the color composition on an iPad and output the final digital painting to an inkjet printer for reference. Using a digital projector, I enlarged the digital painting directly to the canvas for transfer using pencil.
As I was working through this process, I was recalling the old master techniques David Hockney discussed in the book Secret Knowledge. In that book, Hockney's extensive research led him to conclude that artists such as Caravaggio, Velazquez, da Vinci, and others used lenses to create their masterpieces. It is fascinating to think that the old masters were using optical technology in the 16th and 17th centuries, and that they would likely be using all of the modern tools available today to aid in producing their work.
Referencing both the inkjet print and the original digital painting, I carefully mixed colors for application to the canvas. The paint application is not completely flat. I've been experimenting with the use of enough medium to help the paint flow off the brush while at the same time retain detail from the bristles of the brush. In many areas, there is an intentional, subtle textural pattern that is only noticeable upon close inspection, but helps to imbue a little bit of a shimmer to the colorful surface. It's pretty, but it sure makes photographing the artwork challenging.
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