Like many artists who through natural talent had an ease at drawing, I have later on realized that to make successful artworks, its takes more than an accurate sketch. Training the eye to recreate the forms you see is one task, but being able to render the right values and colors in my opinion is much more challenging.
By values, I mean the differing shades of darkness and lightness, but more importantly the relationships between each value and how they all relate together. Viewing an image with correct values, especially from a distance, is much more convincing and allows the forms to emerge from the canvas instead of being drafted onto the surface.
But....my word, it is very difficult. Here you can see the results of two attempts at painting the same image.
(Digital Reference Photograph for oil studies)
Coloring by the Eye-
Attempt #1
Using the palette of oil paint freely my first try was done the way always painted, subconsciously or at least without much course or aim besides copying. Colors are decided chiefly from looking at the image and trying to match the color by mixing the paint on the canvas.
I would apply colors that in my mind were an 'average' and then would blend the dark areas into those colors to make shadows. The highlights and details were added mostly later. I would say it was about 3/4 complete before I abandoned this painting and took it for what it was, a practice.
Shank Study I, 2018. (24"x 24" Oil on Canvas)
The mind alters what the eye sees, it must be trained to be more honest to what colors are actually being seen. Sometimes even though I'm looking at the shadow of the back left shank and see grays and purples, I was surprised later to find them to actually be greenish.
To train the eye to match values, first the eye must practice by color-checking. This is the general suggestion from Mark Carder, of whom's videos online have been my main reference for improving painting techniques.
For a printed reference all it takes is applying a tiny bit of paint with the palette knife onto the print and comparing your paint value.
Coloring by Value
Attempt #2
Shank Study II, 2018. (24"x 18" Oil on Canvas)
Blocking in main shades of value first, I soon realized that it was easier to mix colors that I guessed would match, and going around the reference print until I found spots that the color did belong. This is a whole lot less stressful then trying to match a specific color, and if you are patient enough every essential color is found.
Ignoring details completely is key, as soon as I tried to find small samples of colors and highlights I would get lost and have to scrape it off in the end.
Taking the time and working steadily with wet paint onto wet paint, this painting resolved into a much more successful artwork.
Like the previous painting, this one in my eyes was also chiefly a practice, and hasn't really been completed, although I found it good enough to call it done. Study II was an example of the drastic improvement that comes with just one additional practice, and it drives me to continue on a similar path to see if I can do even better.
Shank Study II (Final Version), 2018. (24"x 18" Oil on Canvas)