Materials and Techniques

Process Notes: Subtractive Start

This piece began subtractively: the canvas was scraped with a 2:2:1 mix of Indian Yellow, Marble White, and Venetian Medium, then large Dioxazine Purple darks were laid in. Through cycles of subtracting, etching, and lifting, the warm backlight of the gesso glowed through the transparent pigments.

A dry scumble was then revealed in the figure’s flesh, while in the ground it was painted over, intensifying transmitted light and preserving warm/cool tension.

Revisiting the Process: Photodocumenting each stage allows for reflection on sacrifices made in development. Losses and gains are part of risk, but reviewing them honestly provides new reference points. The final image here is a digital augmentation of my favorite earlier stage — a tool for carrying forward what was gained as well as what might have been lost.