Wolf:

I am trying to ramp up the colors in my painting to create more "sizzle". I have used the same palette of colors for 30 years. I have become comfortable and I wanted to push myself a little. I'm not going to change who "Jan" is, just try to create more vibrancy in my work. The first step is to go back to basics and study the color wheel and the use of complimentary colors. This chart was developed by Stephen Quiller who is considered a "colorist", that is, an artist whose style is really primarily the use of color to achieve effects. This is his "spin" on the traditional color wheel which I have tacked up beside my painting table.

After much thought I have decided to do an underpainting of Burnt Sienna (orangey rust color). Here I've already done that across the entire painting. I have then gone in and laid in some greens that are the grassy areas behind the log. I think you can see there is already a "glow" coming from the grass that I didn't achieve by painting on a neutral gray gesso before. I have then blocked in the fallen tree trunk in Burnt Umber (brown) to begin work on the tree.

I am now creating the underpainting texture of the tree bark by using my crumpled cellophane technique.

The tree is now detailed out, and work on the wolf has begun. The head is completed, and I'm beginning to put in the highlights along his back where the sun is coming over the log and hitting his fur.

I am laying in the basis of the hair coat, delineating the direction the full lies, in burnt umber painting. I am purposely letting a lot of the rust color show through

Here I am working on the painting. This helps give an idea of scale. The wolf is mostly completed; I am just finishing up the rear end. A little bit of the grass has been started.

This is the finished painting, "MORNING GLOW", 24" x 36".