My Painting Process

I try to sketch every day or every other day. Here are a few of my recent ones. Some, not all, of my sketches become paintings. My painting process begins by setting up a still life and I make a sketch on paper. Next, I draw it onto a canvas usually scaling up to size and begin painting the following day. This process works for me because it gives me time to think and focus solely on painting: the mixing of colors and their application. The final step is to come back to it the next day and make any small corrections. If I'm happy with the painting, I take an image with my iPhone and post it on my sites. Here is a list of my sites Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Daily Paintworks, robinrosenthalart.com

Blue Vase, Lemons and Pink Bowl

My focus with this painting was to make the colors flat and saturated and to have fun with my brushwork. I've achieved my goal, but what surprised me was that the colors are cool and the edges are hard. All that is going on in the world may be showing up in my painting. I'm going to have to put a sign on my studio door that reads, 

No Coronavirus allow!

Orange and Lemon on Yellow Plate

I make big decisions in my paintings not when I'm sitting in front of them, but when lying in bed problem solving. The problem is, sometimes I struggle when I paint. I get stuck when I start a new and different subject or use a new medium. Luckily, I remember when I get stuck to go back to basics, for me that's colorful fruits and dishes.

Here's an example:

I felt my paintings were getting tight so I packed up all my #2 brushes and put them away. I used #8's and #10's and at the very end, touched up a couple of little things with a #4. I made an effort to put my paints down in one stroke.