Marlowe Feed monochrome study
This little preliminary study took way longer than I expected. It’s only about 5 1/2 by 9 inches, oil on paper, but it took about 4 hours to paint! The sky just didn’t want to happen, so I had to go over it about 3 times until I got something that pleased me. The building itself didn’t present any technical problems, but I really had to concentrate on all the shadow areas and the roughness of the old peeling wood siding. I especially like the lightning rods all over the roof. They’re such a contrast within themselves, theoretically protective but menacing-looking nonetheless. I didn’t make them up–but in the original photo they aren’t nearly as noticeable as in the painting. I’m liking this a lot. Next step is working out the colors. I found the perfect combination just before I went to sleep last night, but now I can’t remember what I picked. I often have great ideas right before I go to sleep, and then convince myself that without writing them down I will remember them in great detail the next day. I never do.
