Yellow

Getting started with color on the Lobentruck. There's something about the monochromatic nature of the initial wash that gives this truck painting a nostalgic, almost timeless feeling. I doubt that I can retain that quality once I get color onto this thing because color just doesn't have the same quality or even purpose.

I did like the first stage very much, but I never intended this to be a monochromatic painting, so I gotta move on.

So I start with the yellow. Simply because it's an easy place to start. As you can see, the application is still pretty thin. The paint will get thicker as I add more layers and variations on there.

The yellow is Cad Lemon + Transparent Oxide Red + White, with a little ultramarine to knock it back. By "knocking it back" I mean graying it down or desaturating and the reason for doing so at this stage (at any stage, really) is so I can go brighter in the focal area later should I need to. If I go full strength from the beginning, I won't be able use more saturation as a tool to punch up certain areas. All I can do is to desaturate everywhere else, which is a pain in the butt.

Of course I have other tools like value contrast and edge work and impasto, but I like having saturation in my arsenal, too.

-to be continued.