Bull rider, Charley

16"x20' oil on canvas

This is the demo at Artisan Santa Fe.

The model, Charley Winter, is a Santa Fe native and bull rider, bronco and former college sculpture instructor.

Toning the canvas with raw umber and started working on the basic shape of the head.

Almost done with the value underpainting.

Completed the grey hair, lightest value and the background to make the head pop up.

Mountain man

Bill 30'x40' oil on canvas

I met Bill last summer at Golandrinas. He was so friendly, gentle and cooperative with me. I remember his wife, Alice Turtle, was so sweet. He was old, but very well built. As soon as I saw him, I made up mind to paint him and took several pictures of him at the location because we didn't set up a schedule for modeling. I really wished to hire him as my model but regrettably, I didn't get his contact number. He said he was living somewhere in Southern New Mexico three hours away from Santa Fe.

I sketched the subject on a pre-toned canvas.

In order to match the value for the background and the face, I just started to paint the background along the face and headband. The value was so clear that it took only a few brush strokes capture his likeness.

I was careful not to make his facial hair too white.

I used white, raw umber and celluian blue from the lightest value and darkest value.

1. To paint the beaver furs, I used linseed oil for more smooth blending and a silky texture.

I changed his grey cotton shirts to a ship skin color and texture to make it more natural and warmer. 
The background color was also green. I refined the texture of the beaver fur and the drying rack.

2. The original background was in an almost solid green color and there was no space for the sky, so I painted "holes" to reduce the portion of the trees and green leaves. Finally, I was able to take a breather.
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The model, D Armond, is a Native American actor in several Native American related movies: Blood Red Earth, We Shall Remain and in non-fiction documentary films, and he studied International Affairs at Columbia MFA program and plays the Native American flute. I was lucky to meet him in Santa Fe. He is intelligent and holds great pride in his Native American heritage. Not only does he play the flute, he also likes to play contemporary music like classic rock, my music genre of choice. We play the guitar together at my studio when he passes by my studio and stops by.
This is a Ala Prima technique during a 3 hours for one session. I toned the white canvas with raw umber and underpainted and colored over it. Please take note of the reflected subtle color changes and value.

Worrior, D Armond demo

20'x16' oil on canvas

Steve 2, 30"x24" oil on canvas

Actor, Samson

28"x22" at the initial session.
I started to paint on the canvas I sketched before. It was like recycling.
At first, I was a little having a hard time because the dark lines was too strong to see if the painting was going well. The face became the road sign for further additions.

Actor, Samson

28"x22" on the second session.
After the second session, I checked the progress of the painting. The model's wide wrinkled belly kept bothering me so that I thought something was needed not to distract it from the focal point at the face and to create a better composition.

Actor, Samson

28"x22" oil on canvas.
Mr. Samson used to be an actor and starred in a movie, Venus in Furs, in 1969.
He is performing as a gladiator at bars or shows around in Brooklyn. I drew him at the art league a long time ago. I found him at a street in Brooklyn while I was walking my dog in the middle of the night.
He said he was going back home after performing at an art center in Brooklyn and was happy to do modeling for me at my studio. He said that artists who worked with him call him a rock because he never moved while posing and was like using a rock as a model. He did a very good job, but I noticed that he moved a bit while he was sitting. However, he is an excellent model. During the second session, I put the golden robe across the shoulder to the belly to cover his wrinkled belly and empty space. I was happy to work with him. I am going to finish this painting next Sunday.