This has been an enjoyable and helpful project. The best part is that I am accompanied by some of my favourite podcasts as I sit here waiting for paint to dry and figuring out the next step. Today's accompaniment is Shankar Vedantum's Hidden Brain podcast. The episode is called Both Things Can Be True. It's like I am in a beautiful therapy session while immersing myself in this painting.
So, to the painting: initially, I tested out the "black" I would need plus checked my yellows and blues to see if there was hope of making the sky and wheat field look good. I never knew that Washington State's skies are so uniquely blue. I am hoping that a heavy percentage of French Ultramarine with a hint of Cobalt Blue will work for the sky.
Surprise, surprise!!! His pants are striped. I really should pay closer attention to the photo when I draw it. This has been a wonderful challenge - to make the stripes follow the contours of his body and still go behind the wheat. Now that I have half of the stripes painted, I am waiting for them to completely dry. Then, I will go back in with a wash of grey which will fill in the white stripes while darkening the stripes already there. I also need to paint into the little wisps of wheat hairs to make them look realistic as I go along.
I am fairly happy with the colour of the wheat so far. I'll probably go back and tidy things up around each blade nearer to the end of the painting.