A NEW ONE, DAY BY DAY – day 4

onto the hands and that left arm. the last painting I finished was a triptych with 3 pairs of these painted black hands, but I think I found a better color combination this time around. I rarely use black paint to paint dark areas (aside from backgrounds)...these hands were done with burnt umber, raw umber, ultramarine blue, and alizarin crimson. I think it results in a much richer and more complex black, especially when there are areas with a lot of reflection and highlights.

I am especially happy with this left hand, which came out much looser than I usually paint. I attempt a looser approach every now and then but it can end up feeling forced, so I'm pleased when it works out. this hand was one of my favorite parts of the reference photo, especially the way that it gets lost in the background, and the amount of flesh tone reflected in the black paint.

apologies for the amount of glare in these, and the following shots...wet paint be shiny.