Alla Prima Process
Alla prima paintings are completed in one sitting. When I paint a portrait this way, I draw with my brush, minding the spacial relationships between features. Next, I lay in the darks using full color, to support the forms of the face. The midtones, the lights and their transitions blend into the previous wet passages to complete a loosely painted portrait. This one layer painting allows me to break from the confines of too much detail and preserves the energy captured at the very start of a painting.
12″ x 12″ Oil on Linen