Enchanted by Contrapposto

Enchanted up on ebay

I am working on a commission and painted this lady to sort of warm up.   I use this pose a lot in my art - I just really love it.   It turns out to be called Contrapposto and has been an important element of painting and sculpture.   It is when a figure is standing with their weight on one foot and sort of twisting from the hips.   It has been important because it captures a psychological disposition in a pose.   To me it is an extremely emotional stance. 

I also thought I would share my pallette.   I often wonder what colors artists use so I will try to remember....

Van Dyke Brown

Red Oxide (I have recently fell in love with this color- but a little bit goes a long way)

Yellow Ochre

Aliziran Crimson

Chromium Oxide Green

Permanent Green Light

Hookers Green (Liquitex - it makes a difference - Golden's Hookers is much darker)

Hooker's Green (Golden)

Ultramarine Blue

Prussian Blue

maybe Cobalt?

Oh for the skin I pretty much always use the same colors with a few exceptions.  

Yellow Ochre, Titanium White, Alizarin Crimson, Prussian Blue

I paint the skin in lots and lots and lots of thin layers.   I also often make a smoky hazy glaze out of white, prussian blue and van dyke brown if it is getting too cartoony.

It is hard for me to remember sometimes so as I paint a painting every paint I use I put in a basket as I go.  That way when I pick it up the next day I remember how I got my colors.