Time to get stuck into my next oil painting 24″x16″ of my favourite type of ape… the Orangutan. The compassion that is felt from the reference image @wildlifereferencephotos is amazing… just had to draw him. Great source for a reference image the details are just mind-blowing… go check them out.
Priming the canvas
I wanted to paint on a good size canvas that would really capture this male Orangutans character. I primed my stretched canvas with an extra coat of acrylic primer after I sanded down any knots. A second coat was then added… oil primer. This is the most important coat, Ivory black paint and white make a great midtown of Grey this helps you to see the true values and somehow the colours just pop more. Also oil primer lessons the absorption of the paint into the canvas it helps you to move to paint around easier.
Getting the proportions right
I used a 2″ Gid which helped to get a rough idea where everything goes. then I use my eye to get the feel right and correct proportions. Will keep posting more work in progress shots as I go with a video clip too. Photo take by my newphew James Eaton… @manafested