THERE HE GOES…
I have gone back to ‘There He Goes’. I always thought I wanted to but I needed some time away from it to think and identify what it was I wanted to change.
In the meantime the colour had become even more chalky. Originally I thought this was down to using turps substitute instead of white spirit but the surface of paint began to crack so I thought it might be something else.
It was actually the primer I had used which was not a proper gesso. The canvas wasn’t sealed properly so it became loose and oil seeped out through the back. You live and you learn.
To try and seal off what I had done already using a varnish, with the hope I could layer more paint on top normally.
The varnish brought some of the colour back but the cracks continue to show through the next layers of paint.
It will have to become a part of the painting but I think I’m unlikely to include it in my degree show exhibition now.
I also reworked the eyes. I completely blocked them out and made them more subtle.
Looking back I wish I had blocked them out in a dark colour rather than white so I could work from dark to light again.
I think this painting photographs strongly but the paint and the problems I have had with the canvas has put me off this painting for the time being. I’m not satisfied with the out come.
I might do another version of it in the future but right now it feels like that image is done and that chapter of my project finished.
