Challenge #12: Cast eye in oil

Eye cast study-oil

   This week concluded the last of four studies with a cast eye rendered in oil paint. Strangely the fourth study was the most difficult which seems odd since oil paint (I thought) was one of my more practiced mediums. The difference may be that I premixed 5 shades of grey but didn't stick to the idea of working strictly in steps. Instead I went for the largest pile of mid grey of which I felt obliged to work from (with so much mixed) which brought the majority of the light end values too dark considering I waited too long to lay in my background greys... what I might should have done in the first 10 minutes of the study. So since my studies are a one shot 3 hour session I realized after lunch break (getting away from the work) when I returned that my light areas were already 2 steps too dark, the background too light and somehow I have to adjust everything in about an hour. I will also say that in the 1st and 2nd study (pencil & conte) I used the white of the paper and used the medium to grade everything from there. In the 3rd study the acrylics didn't mix into the surrounding paint and laying the values 10 and 9 were easier to hold onto as where in the oil the white will fall into that which is already there instead of holding it's purity. Standing alone the study is acceptable but in memory of the still life (or comparison to the 3 previous studies) my frustration is obvious. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

One of four -eye cast studies
(pencil, conte, acrylic, oil)