Very close to the finish...

Unfortunately I didn't manage to finish the painting during last night session. I had to do some repair work on sunk paint using Liquin varnish. So next session I'll finish the face and consider it done. (For the next 6-8 weeks, after that I will review the painting before putting on a sealing varnish)

Stepping forwards to completion

Still busy with getting the shades right, almost there. Some adjusments to the girl's face deemed necessary. Will finish the painting within a few more sessions.... finally!

After a long holiday....

After a veeeeeeery looooooong periode of not painting (holiday, too much nice outdoor activities etc.) I decided to pick up the brushes agian and continued with this painting.

Now starting to workout the rocks to final stages (started right under), bringing in the depth. Deep shades and high lights....

Getting there more and more

Too much work,for lifing, too less time for paintizng.... Started with glazing the girl. Some more layers to go. Also made a start with darkening the shadows....

The dress

Just glaced the dress using a very transparent light blue (cools shades) and Titan White warmed up with Transparant oxyde Red and the first layer for the skin tones. Skin tones will give you an everlasting discussion. How to do and what are the real colors. What works fine for me: an underpainting highlighted in titan white, a first layer of Still de Grain Yellow after drying a second layer of transparant oxid red highlighted with Titan White (warmed up a bit with Still de Grain Yellow). This will give a perfect Kaukasian skin tone.

Will try to finish the rocks this week, mainly setting deep shadows... and see what to do with the water, if anything.

A step back or just forwards...?

Not completely happy with the perpective in the right corner (and some other points) I decide to make some corrections before starting to glaze the girl and the shades.

I had to correct something in the water stream, they are still in underpainting.

Old versus New

Rocks in full color

Currently finished with the ground color for the rocks. Looks quite warm now however I will start to cool down with blue glace. Will be quite dark in some shades.

Started with glazing..

After some hectic weeks on work due to delivery of some big projects I have started with glazing the rocks. I use a lot of warm transparant colors like oxyde red, still de grain yellow, still de grain brown, lazur orange. Some of the colors are slightly cooled down with transparent permanent violet (all Rembrandt Oil Colors).

I know that the colors are too warm however that's fine for me. Next layer will bring in the cool shades.

This week was hectic on work, doing some painting saved me from burning out..... Finally finished with the underpainting... Let's start to put some color in this one...

Rocks all over the place

Stil working on the underpainting, progressing well. I decided to make some changes in the design: I will not close the whole background in rocks but go for some more magic. Herewith a Photoshop impresseion

My frend Leonardo

Hey there! Some more detail on the Why, what en how of the underpainitng techniques

We may never know who the Mona Lisa was or what she’s smiling about, but we do have some idea of how Leonardo da Vinci created the sombre mood and smoky colors that add to her allure.


Leonardo would first create a detailed underpainting in a neutral gray or brown, then apply his colors in transparent glazes on top. Some of the underpainting would show through the layers, subtly helping to create form. On his palette were muted, earthy browns, greens, and blues within a narrow tonal range. This helped give a sense of unity to the elements in the painting. No intense colors or contrasts for him, so no bright red for Mona’s lips nor blue for her eyes (though it doesn't explain why she hasn't got eyebrows!).

Soft, gentle lighting was crucial to his paintings: “You should make your portrait at the hour of the fall of the evening when it is cloudy or misty, for the light then is perfect.” Facial features were not strongly defined or outlined, but conveyed by soft, blended variations in tone and color. The further from the focus point of the painting, the darker and more monochromatic the shadows become.

Leonardo’s technique of softening colors and edges with dark glazes is known as sfumato, from the Italian fumo, meaning smoke. It’s as if all the edges have been obscured by a haze of transparent shadows, or smoke. Creating colors by applying glazes gives a painting a depth you cannot get by applying a color mixed on a palette. Or in his own words: “When a transparent color lies over another color differing from it, a compound color is composed which differs from each of the simple colors”.

Let the rocks come in.

This picture ofthe overall painting already shows a little bit of what will evoluate the next months.

The use of this kind of underpainting helps me o focus on form and to focus on light en dark. I do mind details in this underpainting but not as the most important thing to focus on. There will be many layers of color and a lot of details will be lost however form and light/dark will stay.

Started with some rocks

Today I've started painting the rocks. Will be a hell of a job to paint approximately 0,5 m2 of rocks in underpainting. I try to keep already the depth into the painting by manupilating with high lights en dark shades.

Just some progress

Today I have tried to finish the girl on the painting. Almost succeeded, painting the foot is to much work now... will do this first thing in next session. I need to concentrate on that one.

I am figuring out how I can paint a tremendous amount of rock without getting crazy... The majority of the painting will be filled with rocks and rocks and...

I have started a new work called Spyridon!

Inspired by the female Belgium photographer Celina (I believe...) I decided to make a new painting called Spyridon.


The painting will be sized 80 * 37 cm (width * height) and painted on a MDF panel 9 mm coated with a mix of Titan White and Black acrylic. The underpainting will be in Talens Rembrandt Oil Titan White and Raw Umber.