Subway Platform - Painting in progress part 2

Subway Platform - a painting in progress


Part 2 of the subway painting in progress. The painting is coming along just great! Compared to yesterday a lot of things have changed today. I concentrated mostly on the lower part of the painting, worked a couple of hours on the tiles as well as the part between the tiles and the train. That part looks quite easy, but believe me it's not. The browns, reds and blacks are so close in color, that it becomes quite a drag to get it right. I'm still not satisfied with it. Apart from the lower part I also continued working on the upper part. The train got some extra layers of paint and certain parts have more light in it now. The window right still needs to be worked on. Ah well, I continue working on it next week!

Today an article about me appeared on New York City Mag, highlighting a couple of my paintings from my New York-series, including the smaller version of Subway Platform and my painting of Ground Zero, The Attraction. You can read the article here. The article is written in French! Enjoy and have a great weekend!


kind regards, Gerard

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info@gerardboersma.nl
www.gerardboersma.blogspot.com

Subway Platform - Painting in progress

Yesterday after completing Hot Dog Vendor I started to work on a larger scaled painting of Subway Platform on a masonite panel 0f 51,8 x 44 cm (20.4" x 17.3"). I continued working on it today and I thought it might be a good idea to show you the progress and a glimpse on how I work.

Subway Platform - painting in progress


I always start with a drawing directly done on the panel, getting everything in place and getting the proportions straight. I use a normal pencil for this. After the drawing is complete I erase superfluous lines and start blocking in basic color. Usually I begin with black (mixed myself), then adding other colors in no particular order. You'll notice that this first layer of paint is still very transparant. I'll keep on adding layers untill a solid underground is reached. With strong colors like yellow and red at least 5 or 6 layers are needed. I then begin blending the colors untill the effect I want starts appearing. Usually starting in the upper part of the painting. By lunch the painting looks something like the picture on the above right.

Started to work on the portrait and contnued adding layers


While blending the colors I use several brushes at the same time, each one has it's own color. I mix the colors on my palette (an old lid of a bucket of latex paint) or directly on the painting itself. I often wind up using my fingers for blending as well. As you can see I mainly focused on the train today and didn't worry much about the portrait of the man untill later this afternoon. At this point I consider nothing finished yet, but for now it will do. Tomorrow I will continue working on Subway Platform, focussing on the tiles and floor. Hope to see you then!

kind regards, Gerard

webshop
info@gerardboersma.nl
www.gerardboersma.blogspot.com