I am showing at the Arbor Senior Apartments for the First Friday Art Hop.

Arbor Senior Apartments
115 Louie Ave.
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

For March 2nd ONLY!

They have some restrictions that do not allow artists to hang their exhibits all month. I will be at the Arbor Senior Apartments (in the foyer) for one day, Friday, March 2, 2012 and will be removing the exhibition Saturday.

I have included a coupon (see below) for all my Ezine friends to save some money, so come see all the goodies I’ll be offering.

I’m showing 12 paintings, 1 notebook, and 2 desk calendars. I also have 2 (old) 2011 desk calendars and my book, that we can order if you like. I also have some notecards available. It’ll be so much fun to see my friends on Friday.

Arbor will host the show, offering snacks, wine, and live music. Don’t miss this wonderful affair.

On a different note; I have always taken hand-me-downs, all my life. I am an only child, but I have many – many – cousins. We always handed down our clothing, since children grow so fast and clothes aren’t cheap. Still in my daily life, I cannot throw good things away. I always swap with my girlfriends, or give to the non-profit stores.

With this in mind, I have always taken everyone’s hand-me-down computers. I have never bought a brand-new computer for myself.

Well this is a new year!

I have a new Mac Pro for myself. Just bought it and paid full price. I love it… I  L O V E  I T !

Now I’m loading software, pictures, and music to get it up to speed. This time it’s all my junk and no one else’s. Can’t complain now, because it’s all my stuff. Wooo Hooo!

Don’t forget to have fun!

New Painting

While loading all my music, I ran across Leon Russell’s tunes that I had not heard in so long. I looked him up on Google and found quite a few photos of him. I found a TV special with him and Elton John (another favorite of mine) called Union. Wow. Leon is getting so old, and while recording, had to have a brain tumor removed!
I found a great shot of him and decided to make a charcoal portrait of him.

Leon Russell 18″x24″ Matted and Framed

I’ll be showing him at Arbor Senior Apartments for First Friday Art Hop.
Art Tip

While working on my charcoal portrait, I love one of my charcoal pencils, and tried to find it on the web to buy a new one. Apparently they no longer make the exact brand name.   Eagle brand, Charco 310 can’t be found anywhere. I even found a website that had pictures of all the Eagle brand pencils that were made, and mine was not listed.

Wow. I think I have an antique pencil?

I left a message and a picture with the website, but no response. I ordered other pencils from Dick Blick, and more stumps. I actually bought a kit, since it had a lot of things that I use. The Eagle Charco 310 pencil is so smooth and dark, I can’t find a replacement that is as good.

They just don’t make them like they used to! Hah!

I use a chamois to put large blocks of negative space down first. I just try to block in the form, adjusting the proportions as I go. I take a pencil and scrub it onto a secondary paper, then take my chamois and pick-up charcoal with it, and apply it to my painting.

I work from top-left to bottom-left so I don’t drag my arm across the painting. When I start detailing the painting, I use a clean sheet of paper to cover the painting, so I don’t smudge it with my arm. I usually put at least 3 layers of charcoal for the background, using even strokes at first, and circular strokes as the background gets heavier and darker. I try not to put any heavy lines on the painting that are hard to erase or cover up.

I finish by turning the painting upside-down. When you do that, the painting no longer looks like a face, so problems glare out to you. Try it and you’ll see.

Still, I count my blessings.

I love Christmas carols, and during the season I love to sing carols. But I didn’t pay attention in church, singing first verse and sixth – so while everyone else was on the sixth verse, I was singing LOUDLY (how embarrassing) the second verse. My husband quickly pointed to the sixth verse in the hymnal, and I was back on track.

Whew! What can I say except I love to sing Christmas carols!

And Jambalaya… spicy chicken, turkey kielbasa, and white prawns smothered in Chipotle Chile. I used the rest of my homegrown bell peppers, red and green, sweet, organic carrots, onions and white wine. Wow! No leftovers tell the tale.

Oatmeal cookies with cranberries, dark chocolate and walnuts, and they’re all gone, too.

Yeah but!

How many times have I heard a “Yeah but…”. We are still a captive customer at the Toyota dealership in Lodi since our engine was removed and the new one installed. We returned the car after 1 day at home since it leaked oil, no- it poured out oil like a fountain. After they steamed off the engine, they found the company that we got the engine from – hadn’t used gaskets, only silicon sealant. So the engine had to be taken apart again, all the sealant scraped off, all the belts replaced, and this time, gaskets used instead of sealant. Geez! They’re taking pictures so we can take Rising Sun Engines to court. We’re just so thrilled with this outcome, but what else can we do?

Sing the blues?

Don’t forget to have fun.

New Painting

Something Blue. That’s the theme for the gallery for the month of January. I painted a beautiful blue sky with a backlighted oak tree on a hill.

We love to wander around the countryside, looking for a great place to walk with Tango. We found this beautiful place, with open fields and great oak trees. This one oak tree leaned against the hill, and it’s twisty branches reached for the sun. I took some pictures and as the sun sank low, the weeds peaked over the hillside as the sun highlighted the heads of the weeds tall enough to catch the light.

It was a challenge crying out to me. “Paint me and you’ll learn something.”

Something Blue 12″x24″
oil on hardboard framed
To view 4 days progression

I like challenges as evidenced by “Something Blue” and “Gimpy-eyed Cat”. I will be displaying both at LCAC, so visit Lodi Community Art Center during January, 2011 to see them both.

Art Tip

For “Something Blue”, I started with a hardboard from Ampersand, and I gessoed it myself. The difference in price did not justify buying the board already gessoed because doing it yourself is so easy. You can find them at Dick Blick online stores.

Gesso is a white, acrylic paste that can be thinned with water, and dries very quickly. I use a thin wash, and cover the board quickly and evenly. I don’t want brush strokes showing as each layer I put on the board makes brush strokes more prominent. If you end up with some thick strokes or problem areas, you can sand them down and reapply gesso until you have the surface you want.

from Wikipedia:

Gesso (Italian: “chalk,” from the Latin gypsum) is a white paint mixture consisting of a binder mixed with chalk, gypsum, pigment, or any combination of these.[1] It is used in artwork as a preparation for any number of substrates such as wood panels, canvas and sculpture as a base for paint and other materials that are applied over it.

I usually put at least 3 coats of gesso on plain hardboard before painting. I use gesso the same way on canvas if the canvas is really rough.

For “Something Blue” I started by painting the sky, putting in the clouds, and sketching (with oil) the tree and main branches. I try to balance the painting, keeping the completed vision in mind.

By that I mean that I knew the oak would be heavy, so I tried to balance the painting by adding the clouds and the outcrop of rocks opposite the oak, without too much distraction from the main focal point – the oak.

I then get the values in – meaning the foreground, how dark should it be in the shadows so the little heads of the weeds will show the highlights, and how light and what color should I make the top of the hill?

The board is very smooth and much different than the tooth of a canvas, so as I smoosh the paint around, it shows the white of the gesso or the bottom color, much like tole’ painting. Now I let the painting dry.

After it dries I can make a mistake while painting leaves and wipe them off without disturbing the sky.

Oak trees challenge me still. They have beautiful, twisty branches and leaves that I have not mastered, but I keep trying, hopeful that someday I’ll capture their majesty.

Please pass this along to your friends so they may subscribe if they like it.

Let me know if you have questions, and I’ll answer them in my next Ezine.Don’t be afraid to email me, or call me if you just want to talk.

Sincerely,

Suzie

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

“Suzanne Painter teaches men and women around the world
how to use color and form to paint with realistic results.
Visit her website at www.suzannepainter.com”

Suzanne Painter
all images are copyright 2012
209-642-3930

They said, “It’s not a timing belt. It’s the engine.”

So I’ve been busy, juggling what really needs to get done with things I just wanted to do. I have to share our van (ugh! on the gas mileage) with my husband, but at least we can still get around.

Since I’ve been stranded at home, I’ve created some small paintings for the Small Works show coming up November through December at the Lodi Community Art Center. It should be a fantastic show since the rules allow nothing larger than 8″ x 10″, or 80 square inches.

I have 5 pieces ready to go so please stop by the center to see all the talent on display for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

By the way - H A P P Y  H A L L O W E E N and-

Don’t forget to have fun.

New Painting

I have 5 paintings for the show. One of them, Tibetan Journey intrigued me from the moment I saw the photo online. The landscape showed immense rocky hills, hill after hill, with no sky and not a tree or bush or blade of grass anywhere. I found it awesome. A road cut right through the middle of this awesome landscape, and disappeared over the last rise. On this road, a monk walked with nothing more than his backpack. It looked like he was walking into nothingness, where everything is nothing. I had to try and do justice to this photo, but to put it onto a 5″ x 7″ painting challenged me.  Tibetan Journey 5″x7″ Acrylic on Gessoed Paper, framed             The important part of all this is that you try. I find things that inspire me, and I try my best to put down the feelings I get when I view the thing I’m trying to paint. I tried to capture the awesomeness of this monk’s journey in this small painting, down to his checkered hat and blue sash.

Art Tip

A friend of mine offered a suggestion that I found intriguing. If I were to gesso paper, I could use watercolor and it works out very well, she said. So I proceeded to gesso some bristol paper, and got out my watercolors. The reason it intrigued me is that I know that gesso is a primer for canvas and other substrates. I wondered if the watercolors would take to the gesso, or just bead up.  Wikipedia “Gesso”, also known “glue gesso” or “Italian gesso” is a traditional mix of an animal glue binder, usually rabbit-skin glue, chalk, and white pigment, used to coat rigid surfaces such as wooden painting panels as an absorbent primer coat substrate for painting. The colour of gesso was usually white or off-white. Its absorbency makes it work with all painting media, including water-based media, different types of tempera, and oil paint. After I prepared my paper with gesso, I proceeded to try and paint with watercolor. I found that the watercolor beaded up on the gessoed paper, and it did exactly what I thought it would do. Watercolor, to me, is beautiful when it has a chance to spread and become something transparent, and ethereal. I have a hard time with watercolor since I’m so used to oil and acrylic paint, heavy, opaque, bold colors. My watercolors seem to always mix together because I’m so impatient and can’t wait for the last layer to dry before moving on. So I tried Ox Gall, and mixed it with the watercolors to adhere to the gessoed paper. Ox Gall [from Dick Blick] is a natural wetting agent for degreasing of undercoats before painting with watercolors or gouache. It should be used sparingly, and it is suitable as a leveling agent for watercolors. Ox Gall worked wonderfully. It allowed my watercolors to flow and adhere to the gessoed paper without frustration on my part. Fairy and Mushrooms, 5″x7″ watercolor on gessoed paper, with frame. There’s a little glare on the glass, in the upper left-hand corner, but you can see that I had fun with this painting.               Red Dragon, Acrylic and Ink on gessoed paper with frame.                 Satyr, 8″ x 10″, watercolor on paper, with frame.                   Stop by the art center, November and December, and get your unique handmade gifts from local artists. Show your appreciation and support this season, and surprise your loved ones with a priceless gift of art. World renown Ava Avione will judge the entries, so we will have quite a display of great original art. All the members are excited about this show, so this is one you don’t want to miss. SEE YOU THERE!

Tango, We love her.

Don’t forget to have fun.

As you know, I won first place in the member competition for Lakota Ghost Dancer, and honorable mention for White Slough. I am still thrilled about this.

But on a sad note, we fought like crazy to save our little dog, but she was too sick and too old. We honestly didn’t know how old she really was, since she adopted us over nine years ago. Someday I’ll paint her picture, but it’s too soon to study that special face that brought us so many happy times.

So I haven’t been painting or drawing except in my journal. I’ve been learning a great deal though, trying to fill my time creatively. I have learned how to make a great marinara sauce, how to work with my framer to create a professional frame for my watercolor, Portland Rose (see below), and how to further my progress in business.

Portland Rose watercolor 32" X 36"

Don’t forget to have fun.

I won First Prize for Lakota Ghost Dancer,

and Honorable Mention for White Slough!

The First Friday Art Hop successfully hosted the Member Competition Show, and so many wonderful people showed up for the opening. We had a table full of delicious hors-d’oeuvres, wine and soft drinks, with great conversation with some of the artists, including me. I answered questions and met what I hope to be, fresh, new artists, wondering how to start.

Member Show – July 2011 LCAC

I bought an accordian book, the size of a lipstick, created by one of our artists, Suzanne Rawlins, and it reminds me of a Tibetan prayer book, with a little bell on the end. My mother-in-law usually buys a necklace or earrings, but she resisted this time. The prices are reasonable and the products are all handmade with love. You can’t go wrong.

The show will continue until the end of July, so if you haven’t seen the Member Competition show, stop in and take a peek.

Tuesday July 12th,  7 pm – 9 pm , we will have our General Membership meeting, open to the public, with a critique of the Member Show by Show Judge Jeannie Vodden.

1st Place and Honorable Mention

I still have posters of Lakota Ghost Dancer, on my website, Gift Ideas, They may not last long since the painting won First Place. WOW! I’m still thrilled about the awards.

Also, if you want to purchase Blackbird Waiting, you’ll have to wait for the KVIE Auction in September, 2011 to bid. I’ve been accepted into the auction, so Blackbird Waiting is no longer available on my website. I’ll keep you informed of when you can see it on their auction website, and when you can buy tickets to their fabulous pre-auction gala.

Don’t forget to have fun!

2011 July Issue 3
Art Part

Hi there .

Just wanted to share with you what happened last week. I love yoga. I go to a class once a week and stretch and meditate. I lose my worries and refresh my thoughts at this time. Well, last Tuesday’s class, while I was in the ‘table’ pose, hands and knees on the floor, I overstretched my hand somehow, and damaged the flexor tendon that runs from your forearm to your fingers, on the palm side of your hand. WOW! It hurt at first, but nothing like later. And of course, it’s my right hand and I’m right-handed.

So now I’m learning how to use my left hand and I am so clumsy. You never realize how dependent you are on the hand that you use all the time. For instance, my mother-in-law is deaf and I sign to her, using – yes – my right hand. I can hardly sign with my left hand. Sounds silly doesn’t it? Here’s a test. Cross your arms in front of you, across your chest. Now cross them the opposite way. Not easy.

I had to deliver my paintings to the member competition in July. Submissions are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I’m lucky to have my husband to help me. So many great paintings this year. I can’t wait for the show.

The yoga instructor is taking July off, so I’m lucky I don’t have to miss any classes. Hopefully I’ll be healed by August.

See you at the show and don’t forget to have fun.

Art Journaling

I always have a notebook available for sketching. You never   know when something will inspire you, and you should make a quick doodle to capture the idea. When I feel lost for ideas, I open my sketchbook, and as I turn the pages, the sketches come to life again. I have cut out pictures that I want to save and use as reference, and stuck them in the pages of my sketchbook. When I look at my older books, I can see a difference in my techniques as I grow in experience. Believe me, I haven’t always known how to paint and draw. I have to laugh at some of my older works, but I’m so glad I saved them, as horrible as I thought they were at the time.

I don’t ever rip out pages. Save them and you’ll be so pleased that you did later on, down the road. Sometimes I write poems or thoughts that accompany the sketch. These are thoughts that don’t leave the bedroom, so to speak. I don’t share my books with anyone, like a diary, although if someone were to find it and read it I wouldn’t be embarrassed. This is my inner-sanctum, and as you review my sketchbooks, I am revealed.

Things that I found inspiring. Ideas that sparked something in me. Photos that touched me in some way. That’s what you’ll find inside my books, and it grounds me when I’m lost. It reminds me of who I am when I forgot why I paint. I paint to express myself, my feelings, my world. Sometimes it’s through the pain of life that we find our greatest joys.

Here’s a quote I love:
“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
- Aeschylus

Art Tip
Pencils
I use a wide variety of pencils and charcoal pencils, as well as pens. My sketchbooks are hardbound, so I don’t need a drawing board as a support.
Currently, Dick Blick has a great sale going on, 70% off on selected Strathmore pads, and I use Strathmore pads for my own drawing. Now would be the time to get that journal going.

Online art supplies from Dick Blick

Here’s some background on pencils and their hardness and blackness.

From Wikipedia:
The archetypal pencil may have been the stylus, which was a thin metal stick, often made from lead and used for scratching in papyrus, a form of early paper. They were used extensively by the ancient Egyptians and Romans. The word pencil comes from the Latin word pencillus which means “little tail”.

On 30 March 1858, Hymen Lipman received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil. In 1862 Lipman sold his patent to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000, who went to sue the pencil manufacturer Faber-Castell for infringement. In 1875, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against Reckendorfer declaring the patent invalid.

Many pencils across the world, and almost all in Europe, are graded on the European system using a continuum from “H” (for hardness) to “B” (for blackness), as well as “F” (for fine point). The standard writing pencil is graded HB. According to Petroski, this system might have been developed in the early 20th century by Brookman, an English pencil maker. It used “B” for black and “H” for hard; a pencil’s grade was described by a sequence or successive Hs or Bs such as BB and BBB for successively softer leads, and HH and HHH for successively harder ones.

As of 2009, a set of pencils ranging from a very hard, light-marking pencil to a very soft, black-marking pencil usually ranges from hardest to softest as follows:
9H 8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H F HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B
Hardest                             Medium                              Softest

Pencil Grading Chart

Koh-i-noor offers twenty grades from 10H to 8B for its 1500 series;Derwent produces twenty grades from 9H to 9B for its graphic pencils and Staedtler produces nineteen from 9H to 8B for its Mars Lumograph pencils.

The main market for such wide range of grades are artists who are interested in creating a full range of tones from light grey to black. Engineers prefer harder pencils which allow for a greater control in the shape of the lead. This is reflected in the way pencils are packaged and marketed. For example, for its Graphic pencils Derwent offers three packages of 12 pencils each: Technical (with hard grades from 9H to B), Sketching (with soft grades H to 9B), and Designer (with medium grades 4H to 6B).

Pencils graded using this system are used to measure the hardness and resistance of varnishes and paints. The resistance of a coating (also known as its pencil hardness) is determined as the grade of the hardest pencil that does not mark the coating when pressed firmly against it at a 45 degree angle.

Another common method uses numbers to designate the grade of a pencil. It was originally created by Conté and adopted in the United States by John Thoreau, father of Henry Thoreau, in the 19th century. The following table shows approximate equivalences between the different systems:

U.S. World
#1      B
#2      HB
#2½   F
#3      H
#4      2H

from the wiseGEEK
Charcoal pencils are found in H, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, and 6B. Sometimes 4B charcoal pencils are sold as “carbon sketch pencils.” There are a couple of special charcoal pencils. One charcoal pencil to which the blackness rating does not apply is the white charcoal pencil. A less common charcoal pencil is wrapped in paper rather than cedar, like a grease pencil.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

“Suzanne Painter teaches men and women around the world
how to use color and form to paint with realistic results.
Visit her website at www.suzannepainter.com”

2011 June New Flash

Here’s a note from me

Hi there ,

I have good news to share with you.

1. I’ve been revamping my website SuzannePainter.com and let me tell you, it takes a lot of time to code and test all the things I’ve put into it. You’ll see the difference right away.

2. I’ve been approved to take credit cards on line. Whaaa Whoo! I have a new shopping cart system, so everyone can buy easily and securely.

3. I’ve added some gifts I thought you’d like to my new site. Gift Ideas They’re actually things I wanted, such as a Lakota Ghost Dancer Poster, or some of my favorite paintings printed on notecaards.

Send me an email and let me know what you think. If you would like something specific printed on a notecard or poster or notebook, let me know and I can make it for you.

And before I forget – July is Lodi Community Art Center’s member competition at the gallery, so get your best works ready to submit to the art center for July’s great show. If you received  June Issue [Art Part] ,you know what I’m submitting.

Stay tuned for July’s issue of [Art Part].
And if you’ve received this from your friend, let me know and I’ll send you your own, free copy. It’s easy to join my mailing list, and safe. And I promise, it’s just as easy to stop receiving my messagaes.

Here’s some more exciting events you might enjoy:

30th Annual KVIE Art Auction-Please consider donating an original piece for the Art Auction. You can submit your piece online at www.kvie.org/artauction, June 1-July 6. Artists using online submission will be notified via email if their works are accepted. You may also submit your work in person at KVIE on June 24-25 from noon-4pm. In-person submissions will be accepted or declined on the spot.  Accepted works become the property of KVIE and will not be returned.  There is no entry fee.
The jury panel of Jerald Silva, Tony Natsoulas, David Lobenberg, Phillip Cunningham, and other respected members of the art community will select winners for the following prizes:
* Best of Show ($500)
* 1st Place for each of six categories ($100)
* Juror Awards (ribbons and special on-air attention)
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Seniors First Friday — The Lodi Arts Commission is pleased to announce that they are seeking talented senior artists interested in showing at a group show for the September First Friday Art Hop, September 2, 2011, at Hutchins Street Square in the Thomas Theatre Gallery from 6:00 pm -8:30 pm. Artists of all types and abilities are encouraged to participate.  You must be at least 55 years of age. One piece of art per artist may be submitted.   Space is limited and those qualifying will be chosen on a first come basis.  For more information, contact Lodi Arts Commission at 209-333-68000 xt 2458.

Don’t forget to have fun.

I’m so happy to say, everyone absolutely loved my painting, Lakota Ghost Dancer. I heard stories like “I took 3 of my friends to the Lodi Community Art Center to see your stunning painting hanging in the front window.” Of course, the artists at the art center wanted to know if I will submit the piece in the member competition show in July.

You bet I will.

Also, they asked if I would submit my painting, White Slough, in the member competition, and I think the variety of styles would work nicely. Galleries look for recognizable styles, so they can tell their clients when a new painting from a favorite artist arrives. I’ve been told that I need to find a style and stick to it. But I can’t stay with one style or another, because I love to paint so many different things.I feel what’s more important is that you keep painting what you love.

Don’t forget to have fun.

ps. We now have horse-drawn buggy rides to take you to and from the venues for our First Friday Art Hops. See you at Lodi Community Art Center friday (my birthday!). Sue

White Slough

Oil on canvas
24″ x 30″

I found a tremendous challenge in White Slough, with all the branches in the fog. I made mistakes, and learned why and how to correct them. I admit, the painting isn’t perfect, but the overall appearance turned out to feel exactly right. When I look at the painting, I feel the dampness, the stormy aftermath with fallen trees, and debris everywhere.

You know there’s always a rainbow after a storm, and for me, the sign of nature’s restoration reveals itself in the green grass, the lifting fog, and the restored life in the California Delta regions.

_________________________________________________________________________

Color Tips

When we look at the fog in White Slough, notice how I’ve used blue and purple to ‘trick’ the eye in thinking that the distance trees and branches recede into the fog. As you look at the foreground, I’ve used more vivid colors, and brighter/darker hues to ‘trick’ you into seeing the foreground advance in perspective.

Of course, the canvas is flat; nothing advanced or receded, just the illusion of perspective that tricked your eye and brain.

From John R. I. Miller we learn:

CHROMATISM, A New COLOR PERSPECTIVE  for Artists

Sir Isaac directed sunlight through a prism lens where it dispersed into the colors of the spectrum.  Each color emerged at a different angle. The lens of the eye operates under the same principal (chromatic aberration) as Sir Isaac’s prism lens.

In nature, the change of focus means three-dimensional depth.  But on a flat painting, the same change of focus means an optical illusion of depth.

The recession of green away from red is not on the canvas, which is flat, but is an optical illusion which takes place in the eye and the brain.

http://jrimiller.tripod.com/index.htm

Below is a diagram of wavelengths from right to left, longest (red) to shortest (violet). For the illusion of distance, you’ll use less and less of the longest wavelength colors in your painting.

In heavier atmosphere, such as fog, you would use red to yellow paint only in the closest foreground, adding more and more white, blue, and violet as you paint the middle and background.

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Sincerely,

Suzie

See a picture of each day’s progress on my Facebook page:

Lakota Ghost Dancer Don’t forget to have fun. 

Suzie

Color Tips

I started Lakota Ghost Dancer with a Prussian blue background, thinking I would like to put ghostly dancing figures around the face. I sketched in the figures, and swirled the blue around, like clouds, above his head.

I had decided before starting, that I would restrict my palette to six colors.

• Burnt Sienna
• Prussian Blue
• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium Red Medium
• White
• Black

After I had blocked in most of the face and feathers, I really didn’t like the ghostly figures; they seemed to distract from the haunting look on the face. I decided to paint the background in a complementary color- and complementary colors always POP.  By pop, I mean the colors seem to stand out more than just by themselves. When complementary colors are beside each other, they bring more to the eye than just the color of each one, by themselves.

So since I had mostly a blue color in his face and feathers (Prussian blue mixed with white, a cool color to different degrees), I used a warm Burnt Sienna in the background, and it really set off the contrast.

In fact, the background now looks like leather, and that’s an added bonus to the painting.

From Wikipedia:
Complementary colors are pairs of colors that are of “opposite” hue in some color model. The exact hue “complementary” to a given hue depends on the model in question, and perceptually uniform, additive, and subtractive color models, for example, have differing complements for any given color.

Color Wheel